OSHA News

OSHA targets nursing homes

Nursing homes in Ohio and across the country can expect to remain under close scrutiny by OSHA in 2004 and beyond.

OSHA has identified 13,000 employers nationwide and more than 1,200 in Ohio that their injury rates were more than twice the national average of three injuries per 100 workers. Of the Ohio employers contacted, more than 25 percent were nursing homes.

The letters from OSHA encouraged companies to seek voluntary advice on how to improve their safety records. Those who volunteer can earn a one-year exemption from routine OSHA inspections. Those who ignore OSHA's overtures are almost assured of receiving an inspection in the next year or so.