Abbott Laboratories and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) announced that they will work cooperatively to improve workplace safety for all workers across the health care industry. The Alliance was formalized this morning in a signing ceremony during the National Safety Congress and Exposition in Chicago.

Workers in nursing homes, hospitals and other health care facilities are potentially exposed to many safety hazards, including ergonomic and other occupational injuries; exposure to needles and needlestick injuries; and exposure to pathogens. Initial efforts of the Alliance will focus on the nursing home setting, which has the third highest rate of injuries and illnesses per 100 workers across all U.S. industries.

"We welcome the expertise and knowledge that Abbott Laboratories brings to help ensure that workers in the health care and pharmaceutical arena will have safe and healthful workplaces," said OSHA Administrator John Henshaw. "The results of this Alliance will touch thousands of workers in the industry and we're pleased that Abbott has joined with us in this important effort."

Abbott and OSHA will focus efforts on the three main Alliance program areas -- training and education; outreach and communication; and promotion of a national dialogue on workplace safety and health. Some specific initiatives include:

-- Convening and participating in forums, roundtable discussions or stakeholder meetings on safety and health issues in the health care industry to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace.

-- Developing and incorporating materials into business school curricula that communicate the business value and competitive advantages associated with the implementation of comprehensive safety and health programs in the workplace.

-- Participating in and speaking at safety and health events to promote good safety practices.

OSHA's Alliance program enables organizations committed to workplace safety and health to collaborate with OSHA to prevent injuries and illnesses in the workplace. OSHA and its allies work together to reach out to, educate, and lead the nation's employers and their employees in improving and advancing workplace safety and health.