Hospitals Ensure OSHA-Compliant Lockout Procedures with Brady Procedure-Writing Service


Lockout service from Brady Worldwide, Inc. protects hospitals from fines, injuries and losses

Milwaukee, WI - Lockout/Tagout remains among the top ten most-violated Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards for hospitals of all sizes, according to OSHA's yearly inspection data report for the hospital industry. To help hospitals and healthcare facilities comply with OSHA standards for lockout/tagout, Brady Worldwide, Inc. offers an On-Site Graphical Lockout Procedure Service - a comprehensive lockout service in which Brady engineers create machine-specific procedures, as required by OSHA. These visually-enhanced written procedures are then placed directly on the equipment to ensure that the facility meets or exceeds OSHA and Joint Commission requirements. This Brady service gives healthcare employees immediate access to the lockout procedures and increases overall workplace safety throughout the facility.

Lack of lockout procedures put hospitals at risk for fines, injuries and accreditation loss

As an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA has authority to enter hospitals and healthcare facilities to inspect worksite conditions, cite those found in violation of the standards, and levy fines. While bloodborne pathogens remain the most frequent and expensive OSHA violation that hospitals face, there are several other violations that are often overlooked, including the Control of Hazardous Energy, which is commonly known as lockout/tagout. In order to comply with OSHA's lockout/tagout standards, hospitals are required to have machine-specific, written lockout procedures.

According to the most recent inspection data report, which lists violations cited between October 2008 and September 2009, lockout/tagout is the 6th most-violated OSHA standard for the hospital industry.

Without a proper lockout/tagout program in place, healthcare facilities not only put their organizations at risk of receiving costly fines, but they expose their employees to the possibility of serious injury. Properly executed lockout/tagout programs prevent accidents and save lives by protecting employees from the unexpected release of hazardous energy that can otherwise occur when machines and equipment are being serviced or maintained.

The Joint Commission accreditation requires OSHA-compliant lockout/tagout program

In addition to OSHA fines and patient safety issues, hospitals without proper machine-specific written lockout/tagout procedures are also in jeopardy of losing their accreditation from The Joint Commission, an independent, non-profit group that inspects, accredits and certifies more than 16,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the U.S.

The Joint Commission requires hospitals to comply with OSHA standards for lockout/tagout for hospital accreditation. It indexes OSHA 1910.147 "The Control of Hazardous Energy" (Lockout/Tagout) multiple times through the 2010 Environment of Care Crosswalk; Lockout/tagout is referenced in its Safety and Security chapter [Elements of Performance for EC.02.01.01], Medical Equipment chapter [EP for EC.02.04.03], Utilities chapter [EP for EC02.05.05] and Role and Responsibilities chapter [EP for EC.03.01.01].

If a hospital were to lose its accreditation due to the lack of proper lockout/tagout procedures, it could lose funding from private and government insurance programs, including Medicare - which would put millions of dollars of patient care reimbursement at risk.

Procedure-writing service offers complete solution for OSHA lockout compliance

Brady's On-Site Graphical Procedure Service is available to hospitals and healthcare facilities as a fast, effective solution for meeting The Joint Commission's and OSHA's lockout/tagout requirements. With this service, Brady projects engineers come on site to implement lockout procedures and ensure OSHA lockout/tagout compliance throughout the facility. They perform a zero energy state assessment, develop and install OSHA-compliant, visually-enhanced lockout procedures, create and install energy source tags, and provide the training, templates and electronic files required for proper maintenance of the program in the future.

For many hospitals, the requirements for lockout can be difficult and time-consuming - especially for those facilities with limited time and resources. With the On-Site Graphical Procedure Service, Brady engineers develop and implement a thorough, compliant lockout program for the facility in a matter of days, providing hospitals with a time-saving and cost-effective solution to employee safety and regulatory compliance.

For more information about Brady's On-Site Graphical Procedure Service, including downloadable procedure samples, visit www.bradyid.com/idservices. To learn more about Brady's complete line of lockout/tagout solutions, visit www.bradyid.com/lockouttagout or call Brady Safety Services at 1-800-496-4040.

About Brady Corporation

Brady Corporation (NYSE: BRC) is an international manufacturer and marketer of complete solutions that identify and protect premises, products and people. Its products include high-performance labels and signs, safety devices, printing systems and software, and precision die-cut materials. Founded in 1914, the company has more than 500,000 customers in electronics, telecommunications, manufacturing, electrical, construction, education, medical and a variety of other industries. Brady is headquartered in Milwaukee and employs more than 7,000 people at operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia/Pacific. Brady's fiscal 2009 sales were approximately $1.2 billion. More information about Brady Corporation is available at www.bradycorp.com and to learn more about Brady's complete line of products and offers visit www.bradyid.com. In Canada visit www.bradycanada.com.

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