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• OSHA Alliance

The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. AORN and OSHA have formed an Alliance to provide information, guidance, and access to training resources to protect employees' health and safety. Efforts will particularity focus on preventing exposure to bloodborne diseases, ergonomic injuries, and exposure to smoke plume generated from the use of electrosurgery units (ESU) and lasers.

OSHA and AORN will work together to achieve the following training and education goal: 

• Develop training and education programs regarding the prevention of percutaneous injuries.

OSHA and AORN will work together to achieve the following outreach and communication goals: 

• Develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards and ways of communicating such information to employers and employees in the industry.
• Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's or AORN's conferences, local meetings, such as the annual AORN Congress or other AORN sponsored events.
• Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding AORN's best practices or effective approaches and publicize results through outreach by AORN and through OSHA or AORN's developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).
• Work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects related to ergonomic injuries, bloodborne diseases and exposure to surgical plume that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.
• Encourage AORN local chapters to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues, including ergonomic injuries, bloodborne pathogen hazards and exposure to surgical smoke.

Worplace Safety Resources

AORN offers the following documents related to occupational safety and health:

• AORN Position Statement on Safe Work/On-Call Practices
• AORN Position Statement Patients and Health Care Workers with Bloodborne Diseases
• AORN Position Statement on Ergonomically Healthy Workplace Practices
• AORN Position Statement on Workplace Safety
• AORN Guidance Statement: Sharps Injury Prevention in the Perioperative Setting
• AORN Guidance Statement: Safe On-Call Practices in Perioperative Practice Settings

OSHA offers an online, interactive resource, the Hospital eTool, that graphically demonstrates hazards and controls found in the hospital setting, and describes standard requirements as well as recommended safe work practices for employee safety and health.

Another online tool from OSHA, Safety and Health Topics pages, is a searchable database of occupational safety and health information. The subjects of these pages include specific workplace hazards, as well as individual industries.
OSHA’s Safety and Health Bulletin, “Use of Blunt-Tip Suture Needles to Decrease Percutaneous Injuries to Surgical Personnel.”    

• OSHA’s Safety and Health Bulletin, “Use of Blunt-Tip Suture Needles to Decrease Percutaneous Injuries to Surgical Personnel.”
• Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Guidance for Healthcare Workers and Healthcare Employers
• OSHA Guidance Update on Protecting Employees from Avian Flu (Avian Influenza) Viruses
• Protect Yourself Avian Flu Healthcare Workers Quick Card  
• Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic