Joint Commission, OSHA partner on education

Seeking synergy in accreditation and compliance

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations have signed an educational partnership agreement that extends their efforts to help health care organizations meet both regulatory and accreditation expectations.

The aim of the ongoing partnership is to improve efficiency and reduce redundancy in quality oversight activities. According to a statement by the Joint Commission, opportunities for the continued collaboration — which began in 1996 — include enhancing the applicability of OSHA’s voluntary protection program (VPP) for health care organizations, which encourages and recognizes excellence in occupational safety and health programming. VPP exempts organizations from OSHA’s programmed inspections. The two agencies are interested in identifying ways to assist health care organizations in achieving the recognition and benefits of VPP participation, as well as developing additional educational programs that aid in maintaining Joint Commission accreditation while meeting OSHA regulations.

"This partnership between OSHA and the Joint Commission is a very fruitful alliance," says OSHA administrator Charles N. Jeffress. "It has dramatically expanded OSHA’s reach in the health care industry and produced a voluntary performance strategy that has improved worker safety and health throughout the industry."