OSHA Compliance Audit Checklist For Podiatrists

Medical offices and practices face numerous safety-related concerns that they must address. Occupational health and safety specialists can help by creating policies, procedures and training to keep the workplace secure.

At an on-site inspection, an OSHA representative known as a Compliance Safety and Health Officer will review employer records regarding work-related injuries and illnesses. Using the Submission Comparison Worksheet helps record any discrepancies between OSHA’s Log Summary data submitted for analysis at an establishment audit and what was found during audit at that same establishment.

1. OSHA Compliance Checklist
Occupational Safety and Health Administration was established to establish guidelines and oversee workplace safety as well as enforce regulations that protect employees. They conduct inspections to identify potential hazards and evaluate safety protocols; these inspections may occur unannounced or after receiving complaints, referrals, severe accidents or programmatic schedules targeting specific industries or high-risk workplaces.

An OSHA inspection checklist helps inspectors or employers systematically assess compliance with standards and regulations across any given workplace. Such checklists typically cover categories like hazard communication, emergency response plans, electrical safety, machine guarding, fire prevention, PPE requirements and record keeping.

Checklists must also take into account industry-specific requirements, such as those specific to construction and healthcare. Healthcare-related safety issues could include bloodborne pathogen protection and medical records.

2. Risk Assessment
Risk evaluation is the first step in assessing workplace safety, taking into account factors like likelihood and severity.

Risks must then be prioritized, with those that could cause accidents and illness receiving top priority. Organizations must find solutions for long-term hazards to minimize or eliminate them as quickly as possible; temporary improvements that cost less might also be beneficial until more permanent controls can be installed.

Businesses can utilize a 3×3 or 5×5 risk matrix to help identify and understand the potential risks in their business, and keep their risk assessment current as the risks in the workplace constantly change.

3. Policies and Procedures
All medical facilities, offices and practices must abide by stringent safety regulations designed to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths.

Medical facilities present unique needs and procedures that make adhering to OSHA guidelines challenging, yet there are ways of mitigating risks while remaining compliant. Some examples include:

Make sure employees have access to and are trained on appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), ergonomic principles are implemented during work practices in order to minimize musculoskeletal disorders, and accurate and up-to-date records are kept of employee injuries and illnesses.

Human resources managers often struggle to comprehend which OSHA general industry requirements apply to their facility and employees. A checklist can assist them in identifying areas of risk, what an inspection involves, how to resolve citations efficiently and any available cooperative programs.

4. Training
An OSHA inspection is a thorough evaluation performed by an authorized inspector to identify potential violations in health and safety standards that may result in citations or penalties. OSHA offers resources on their website that can assist businesses with understanding areas requiring OSHA compliance, what an inspection might entail, how citations can be resolved quickly and available cooperative programs.

Universitys offer master’s degrees in human resource management that equip graduates to assess workplace safety issues and create programs to foster healthy working environments. Such programs may include training employees on proper equipment use and incident reporting as well as keeping records of accidents and injuries. It’s also vital to review policies and procedures regularly – doing this reduces risks while helping avoid OSHA violations.

5. Emergency Preparedness
No matter the size or scope of your practice, compliance is of utmost importance. Failing to do so could result in costly OSHA investigations for violations that compromise business operations; that is why every podiatry practice should have an established training program in place.

Emergency preparedness encompasses creating plans to respond to emergencies or disasters, including posting emergency phone numbers and conducting drills; compiling an emergency supplies kit; as well as planning for family members and pets who might require special accommodations during an emergency.

Also, employees must be monitored to make sure they do not appear on the Office of Inspector General’s List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (LEIE), which includes Medicare and Medicaid programs. The LEIE is a public list that lists individuals and entities that cannot receive payment from federal health care programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.