Long Term Care Special Emphasis Program
The North Carolina Special Emphasis Programs (SEPs) are part of the NC OSH Division's five year strategic management plan for which its two principal goals are: 1) to reduce the state's workplace fatality rate by at least 2%; and 2) to reduce the state's non-fatal injury and illness rate by at least 5%. For each SEP that applies to a specific industrial sector, similar goals for reducing the fatality rate and/or non-fatal injury and illness rate are applied.
SEP: Long Term Care
What are the goals of the long term care special emphasis program?
- Reduce workplace injury and illness rates in affected establishments
- Reduce or eliminate employee exposure to prevalent hazards
What industries are covered by this SEP?
- NAICS 623 - Long Term Care Facilities
What are the principal hazards on which this SEP is focused?
Much of the injury and illness observed by employees in long term care facilities can be attributed to one or more of the following:
- Bloodborne pathogens
- COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
- Ergonomics
- Slips, trips and falls (see Walking and Working Surfaces)
- Tuberculosis
- Workplace violence
What regulations apply to this SEP?
OSH has adopted the following regulations that govern the requirements for protection against the hazards associated with long term care facilities. This is not all inclusive.
Note: Please also check the standards information and activity webpage to see if there has been any recent or upcoming regulatory activity on this topic.
General Industry
- 29 CFR 1910 Subpart D - walking-working surfaces
- 29 CFR 1910.22 - general requirements
- 29 CFR 1910 Subpart I - personal protective equipment
- 29 CFR 1910.132 - general requirements
- 29 CFR 1910.133 - eye and face protection
- 29 CFR 1910.134 - respiratory protection
- 29 CFR 1910.138 - hand protection
- 29 CFR 1910.1030 - bloodborne pathogens
- 29 CFR 1910.1200 - hazard communication
Recordkeeping
Refer to Recording and Reporting
General Duty Clause
- NCGS 95-129(1) - General Duty Clause
Other Applicable Standards
The Which OSHA Standards Apply webpage can also help identify other standards that may be applicable to your worksite.
Where can I learn more about this SEP?
Compliance Documents
- Operational Procedure Notice 132, Special Emphasis Program for Long Term Care Facilities, establishes the enforcement policy and provides an explanation of the applicable standards to ensure uniform enforcement when conducting inspections of long term care facilities.
- Compliance Directive: CPL 02-00-124 - Multi-Employer Citation Policy provides guidance to Compliance Officers regarding the issuance of citations for employers who exercise control in creating, controlling, exposing and correcting hazards for their employees and those of other employers on site.
Safety and Health Topics
Additional resource information can be found on the safety and health topics page on long term care, respiratory protection, ergonomics, recording and reporting, COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and personal protective equipment.