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O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | A P R I L 2 0 1 4
S H A R P S S A F E T Y
E
rik Flexman, MHPA,
FACHE, CASC,
attended the semi-
nars and read the articles.
He'd heard the horror sto-
ries surrounding OSHA's
unannounced inspections of
surgery centers and the
huge fines levied for defi-
ciencies in sharps safety. So the executive director of the Forest Canyon
Endoscopy & Surgery Center in Flagstaff, Ariz., decided to do something
unconventional: He got to OSHA before they got to him.
"In our state, you can invite OSHA to inspect your performance in a
non-punitive way," he says. "They'll walk you through the things you need
to improve and give you an opportunity to fix issues. You should be more
than prepared the next time they come to officially inspect your facility."
OSHA notified Mr. Flexman of OSHA's Safety and Health Achievement
Recognition Program, a label earned by facilities that excel at safety.
After 9 months of intensive training and a formal inspection of the facili-
ty, Forest Canyon earned the SHARP certificate.
"If you get the designation, your facility won't be inspected for 2
years," says Mr. Flexman. There's value to it, too, he adds. "It shows
you're taking good care of your employees, and you can use it when
negotiating with workers' compensation carriers."
What did OSHA want to see? That you're proactively protecting staff
by forming safety committees, investigating root causes of injuries and
making everyone accountable for on-the-job safety. "Accountability, that
PROACTIVE APPROACH
Work With OSHA to Improve Sharps Safety
LAUDED OSHA commended the Forest Canyon
Endoscopy & Surgery Center's sharps program.
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