ANCHORAGE, AK – Beginning October 1, 2018, Alaska Occupational Safety and Health (AKOSH) established a Local Emphasis Program (LEP) for safety and health inspections in a number of segments of the healthcare industry. The program is part of a five-year strategic plan to reduce the rate of occupational illness, injuries, and fatalities in Alaska by focusing on the construction, seafood processing, and health care industries.
The LEP program focuses attention on worksites in Alaska that fall under AKOSH jurisdiction in the following areas of health care and social assistance:
- Offices of Physicians and Dentists
- Outpatient Care Centers
- Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories
- Home Health Care Services
- Other Ambulatory Health Care Services
- Hospitals
- Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
- Social Assistance
This program will result in more frequent inspections of the facilities listed above.
AKOSH enforcement inspections under this program will focus on the types of hazards commonly found in hospitals and other health care settings: slips, trips and falls, blood borne pathogens, tuberculosis, workplace violence, and ergonomics. Enforcement officers will expand the scope of an inspection if the employer’s OSHA 300 logs demonstrate high injury or illness rates related to hazards not listed above. During an enforcement inspection, the officer will also evaluate the employer’s overall safety and health management system.
To assist employers in complying with occupational safety and health standards, AKOSH Consultation and Training offers free, confidential services to small- and medium-sized businesses, with priority given to high-hazard worksites. Consultation services do not result in penalties or citations, but any serious hazards or imminent danger identified during the consultation must be corrected. To request consultation and training services, please visit the AKOSH website and complete a Consultation and Training Services Request Form.
For more information, visit the AKOSH website: https://labor.alaska.gov/lss/oshhome.htm
Source: Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development
