Long term care facilities should consider utilizing OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program, which offers occupational safety and health services to small- and medium-sized businesses. The consultation is free and confidential. Consultation services are separate from enforcement and do not result in penalties or citations. Consultants work with employers to identify workplace hazards, provide advice for compliance with OSHA standards, and assist in establishing and improving safety and health programs.
Skilled nursing facilities, assisted living centers, and Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities may find a consultation helpful to proactively address potential hazards. Employers must commit in advance to correcting any serious job safety and health hazards. If you fail to eliminate or control identified serious hazards (or an imminent danger) according to the plan and within the limits agreed upon or an agreed-upon extension, the situation must be referred from the consultation to an OSHA enforcement office for appropriate action. According to the OSHA On-Site Consultation website, this has rarely occurred in the past.