Issue link: https://nnumagazine.uberflip.com/i/704847
Health and Safety with National Nurses United 4 Under Section 5(a) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (1971), employers have a legal duty "to furnish to each of their employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recog- nized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to their employees." Clearly, hospitals efforts are woefully insufficient in complying with this legal requirement — nurses are suffering high rates of injuries and illnesses. Workplace Hazards and Risk of Patient and Nurse Harm As RNs, we prioritize the health and safety of our patients and community every single day. Our own health and safety becomes secondary, but the sad truth is that we face immense risk every day when we walk through the doors of a hospital, clinic, or home of a patient. Nurses are on the front lines of patient care, and should be appropriately protect- ed. Every measure possible should be taken to help stem illness and injury among nurses. The bottom line is, if we are not protected and are not able to do our jobs, then everyone suffers. Threats to the health and safety of nurses are ultimately threats to the entire community. As the country's largest and most powerful nurses union, National Nurses United is committed to pro- tecting nurses from workplace injuries and illnesses. We are proud to announce that, in addition to the huge amount of legislative, regulatory, and collec- tive bargaining work we are already doing to ensure nurses' well-being, we are launching a new Health and Safety Division to put renewed emphasis, staff- ing, and resources into these issues. Why a Health and Safety Division? NNU's Health and Safety Division is a tool to hold employers accountable for their legal duties to prevent injuries and illnesses. Our Health and Safety Division focuses on, but is not limited to, key areas that most affect nurses' health and safety on the job: • Staffing ratios • Safe patient handling • Workplace violence • Infectious diseases • Injury and illness prevention programs We work to ensure our members' right to health and safety through: • Legislative and regulatory advocacy • Collective bargaining contract language above and beyond legal requirements • Implementation programs and support on new Health and Safety regulations • Resources for member questions and concerns