Footwear is an important issue for health care professionals, many of whom spend long stretches of time standing or walking throughout the day. Good footwear is essential to worker comfort, but comfort concerns must be balanced with safety.

雇主的义务

It might be tempting to assume that footwear concerns only apply to construction, 制造业或其他重型机械行业, 危险的工具或高度构成特别大的危险. 然而, 卫生保健环境造成许多危害, 从坠落的物体, 穿鞋物品, 滑, 绊倒和跌倒, the contraction of blood borne illness and other potentially infectious materials (OPIMs).

OSHA hasn’t released any footwear guidance specifically tailored to the health care sector, but health care employees engage in work that might bring their feet into contact with several overlapping hazards. 特别是, employers in health care settings need to be mindful of the standards regarding protective footwear and the standard regarding contact with blood borne pathogens.

防护鞋标准

OSHA has regulations regarding personal protective equipment (个人防护用品), 特别是防护鞋(29 CFR 1910).132和1910.136). 这些标准没有规定鞋类的种类, but they do mandate that employees must use protective footwear if there is a danger of foot injuries due to falling or rolling objects, 穿透鞋底的物品, 或暴露在电气危险中. The standards also reference the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards that footwear must meet to be in compliance with OSHA regulations. 在卫生保健环境中, employees may come into contact with sharp medical instruments, 针, 重型滚动物体(如轮床或病床), 以及其他重型医疗设备. 符合OSHA标准, foot protection must be used whenever work processes or environments could cause foot injuries. 更重要的是, 从OSHA的角度来看, it is the employer’s responsibility to determine if and when employees are exposed to any hazards.

如果员工暴露在, 然而很少, 经营活动过程中发生的危害, 然后在暴露期间, 他们将被要求穿防护鞋. 如果员工没有暴露在任何足部危害中, 那么就不需要穿防护鞋了.

血源性病原体标准

In addition to protecting their employees from foot injuries, employers have an obligation to protect their employees from contracting illnesses on the job. Specifically, the OSHA blood borne pathogens standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) requires that employers provide appropriate 个人防护用品 when there is a risk of occupational exposure to blood or OPIMs. Under this standard, employers must provide adequate 个人防护用品 at no cost to affected employees.

Blood borne pathogen 个人防护用品 is considered “appropriate” only if it does not permit blood or OPIMs to pass through to or reach the employee's work clothes, 街的衣服, 内衣, 皮肤, 眼睛, 口腔或其他粘膜. This requirement is evaluated under normal conditions of use and for the duration of time in which the 个人防护用品 will be used.

然而, 在考虑提供何种个人防护装备时, employers should note that under the blood borne pathogens standard, 个人防护用品 不包括 general work clothes (including shoes) an individual would normally wear outside of the facility.

出于这些原因, health care employers should consider providing 个人防护用品 for employees to change into (and out of, when leaving the workplace) or 个人防护用品 that protects workers’ “street shoes” when there is a reasonable expectation that employees’ feet may be exposed to blood.

草拟鞋履政策

OSHA guidelines may not offer the specificity that many employers or employees would like, especially when it comes to questions about certain brands or styles of footwear. 的好处, 虽然, to both employers and employees is that the guidelines allow all parties to find footwear solutions that balance competing workplace needs.

Remember these needs when drafting a dress code or footwear policy. 医生, nurses and other health care employees need footwear that keeps their feet safe from hazards but that is also comfortable enough to wear during shifts filled with long periods of walking or standing.

Consider the specific hazards that your employees face—both frequently and infrequently—to make sure your policies match the circumstances your employees will actually have to deal with. 毕竟, employees in a clinic might be exposed to radically different hazards than the ones present in an emergency or operating room or laboratory.

Please contact us at info [at] tmgworkcomp [dot] com if you have further questions regarding workplace safety or OSHA compliance.

Footwear_in_Health_Care_Settings.pdf

This Risk Insights is not intended to be exhaustive nor should any discussion or opinions be construed as legal advice. Readers should contact legal counsel or an insurance professional for appropriate advice. 来源:OSHA. 设计©2016 Zywave, Inc. 版权所有.