Who is Responsible for Safety in a Healthcare Facility?

When patients go to a hospital or other healthcare facility, they are trusting that they will be getting the care that they need to feel better and restore their health. The last thing that should occur is an accident or other issue that makes the patient worse off than they would have been if they had just stayed home. In addition, doctors, nurses, and other employees expect to work in a safe environment. This is why workplace safety at healthcare facilities is so important.

While there is no doubt that there is an expectation of safety in healthcare facilities, this is more difficult to accomplish than most people would expect. This is because healthcare facilities are often hazardous by their very nature. Within a hospital, for example, you have lots of dangerous drugs, sharp needles, scalpels, and much more. In addition, you have people who are experiencing illnesses and other issues that can make them unpredictable.

All of this adds up to the reality that all employees must take responsibility for safety within these workplaces. Each healthcare facility should have someone (or a group of people) in charge of managing overall safety, but it is the role of everyone to do everything that they can to ensure their area of responsibility is as safe as possible. Following a comprehensive safety plan for the facility will help to keep employees, vendors, guests, and patients safe while they are in this type of environment.