Health and Safety
NYSNA nurses are working together to improve working conditions for all healthcare workers. A strong union that includes our health and safety committees, delegates and local leaders is our first line of defense. NYSNA’s Occupational Health and Safety representatives are always available to assist NYSNA members.
Caring for a patient shouldn’t turn YOU into a patient. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration considers healthcare settings to have some of the highest worker injury rates of all U.S. workplaces.
Nurses are regularly exposed to violence, musculoskeletal injuries, hazardous chemicals, infectious diseases and a host of other hazardous conditions. All too often, nurses are forced to work with inadequate staffing levels, insufficient safety equipment and limited training.
Our best protection is a strong union. NYSNA nurses are working together to improve working conditions for all healthcare workers. Our health and safety committees, delegates and local leaders are our first line of defense. NYSNA’s Occupational Health and Safety representatives are always available to assist NYSNA members and staff by providing:
- On-site inspections.
- Training.
- Research.
- Consultations on best safety practices and contract language.
- Assistance to injured members.
- Interaction and advocacy with enforcement agencies.
If you have specific questions about health and safety hazards at work, talk to your NYSNA delegate or representative right away. They will work with NYSNA’s Occupational Health and Safety representatives to answer your questions and help improve the safety of your workplace. You can also contact the NYSNA Occupational Health and Safety representatives directly by sending an email to healthandsafety@nysna.org.
