Healthcare Settings

How Healthcare Organizations Can Protect Their Personnel and Patients From Health Risks

Healthcare personnel and their patients face an increased risk of ongoing virus transmission due to their close-contact services and the high volume of patients seen each day.

Employers and managers in the healthcare industry must protect their patients and staff against the inherent risks associated with their work, with unique considerations for dental settings, laboratories, and physical and occupational therapy, chiropractic, and massage therapy providers.

Protecting Against Ongoing Health Risks in Healthcare Settings

Our Healthier Workplaces guidance documents offer practical advice for how employers can improve personnel and patient safety and limit the spread of illnesses and viruses like COVID-19. The guidance borrows from the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advice and expert counsel from other leading health, government, and dentistry organizations.

In the below "Resources By Type" under "Support Documents," you will find three Healthier Workplaces documents relevant for healthcare employers:

• Healthier Workplaces: Guidance for Body Workers, including Physical and Occupational, Therapy, Chiropractic, and Massage Therapists, 2nd edition

• Healthier Workplaces: Guidance for Dentist’s Offices and Facilities, 2nd edition

• Healthier Workplaces: Guidance for Laboratories, 2nd edition

Each of these documents offers clear strategies for employers to reduce health risks for themselves, their employees, and their patients, including guidance on:

• Ways to properly ventilate your building or office

• Cleaning and disinfecting practices for healthcare settings

• Personal protective equipment recommendations

• How to mitigate risks in high-traffic areas like a waiting room or restroom

• What to do if an employee or patient displays symptoms of COVID-19

• Employee communication and training strategies

Additional Safety Resources For Healthcare Employers

To access more help and resources to understand and avoid the ongoing health risks of healthcare work, we recommend you explore the following resources and networks.