Creation of a safety culture: reducing workplace injuries in a rural hospital setting.

A newly organized employee safety program, with an 11-step design, has been introduced at Valley General Hospital in Monroe, Washington, with the intention of changing the "culture of safety." A 1-year report of the results indicates that the overall incidence of injury claims, lost-time injuries, and needlestick injuries were reduced after the program was implemented and timely reporting of claims within 24 hours was increased. The hypothesis, that by creating more visibility for the employee safety program a decrease in injury rates would occur, was confirmed.