Summary Abstracts
Summer 2016 Journal 

Staying Current on Government Affairs
In this Journal column, Stephen Burt, MFA, BS, AOHP Government Affairs Committee Chair, provides analysis of recent government affairs activities. For this issue, he examines minefields employers will face regarding OSHA's new recordkeeping rule, which updates the way the agency will collect and disseminate workplace injury and illness data. He provides specific advice on changes to post-accident drug and alcohol testing policies, and changes to safety incentive programs.

Editor’s Column
This standard feature provides commentary from the current Journal Editor, Kim Stanchfield, RN, COHN-S. In this issue, she reflects on how the profession of occupational health has evolved in the 35 years since AOHP's inception. She illustrates what has changed, as well as what remains the same, by sharing with readers a column she wrote for the Journal in 2003.

Association Community Liaison Report
Through this regular Journal article, MaryAnn Gruden, MSN, CRNP, NP-C, COHN-S/CM, details how AOHP is gaining visibility as an expert regarding occupational health issues. In this edition, she reviews OSHA's new reporting rule and first year results of the new reporting requirement for serious injuries. Also included are updates on OSHA/NIOSH guidance for protecting healthcare workers from the Zika virus, NIOSH's new Research Rounds monthly bulletin and the National Safety Council website Journey to Safety Excellence.

Perspectives in Healthcare Safety
Cory Worden, MS, CSHM, CSP, CHSP, ARM, REM, CESCO, is the Manager of System Safety for the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System in Houston, TX. In his standing Journal column, Worden shares his insights on safety in healthcare. This issue's feature - The Equilibrium of Leadership - explains the optimum leadership required for successful organizational safety culture development.

The safest possible working conditions and the safest behavioral expectations won't be effective if employees can't assess situations, identify hazards and make effective safety decisions in real time. Cory Worden, MS, CSHM, CSP, CHSP, ARM, REM, CESCO, addresses the need for situational awareness to achieve high-reliability operations and control workplace hazards.

Working Class Heroes: The Distant Early Warning of Public Servant Shortages isn't so Distant
Nurses are leaving the profession at an alarming rate, and short-staffing leads to a variety of safety issues. Cory Worden, MS, CSHM, CSP, CHSP, ARM, REM, CESCO examines why a "safety first" mentality by hospital leadership toward workers can encourage motivation, enthusiasm and vigilance that may inspire new nurses to enter the profession.

Safety SWOT
Safety professionals have a complex set of skills and knowledge that must be used to improve the culture of safety in their organizations. A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) Analysis is a valuable tool in developing a successful safety strategic plan. Article author Melissa Greshem, MS, ASP, CPSI, provides information on developing a Safety SWOT Analysis that can be incorporated into the overall business planning of the organization. 

Integration of FDA and NIOSH Evaluation Processes of Respiratory Protective Devices for Healthcare Workers: A Workshop
Arlene Andrews, BSN, RN, provides a recap of this meeting, which explored the possibility of streamlining the approaches used to evaluate personal protective equipment (PPE) between NIOSH and the FDA. By reducing conflicting and duplicative steps related to standards and methods of testing, NIOSH and the FDA will work to improve healthcare safety related to PPE.