The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently released a memorandum clarifying its enforcement efforts against the inpatient health care and nursing home industries. The list of covered facilities is broad, including psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals, development disability facilities, continuing care and assisted living retirement homes, convalescent homes, hospices, skilled nursing facilities, and drug rehabilitation facilities.

For nursing homes and residential care facilities (NAICS Major Group 623), these focused inspections are a continuation of the previous National Emphasis Program, OSHA Instruction CPL 03-00-016. OSHA reviewed data collected from that program and determined the pressing need to continue its enforcement actions to reduce the number of those hazard exposures.