The Federal Food and Drug Administration's function is to protect the public from unsafe or ineffective drugs and medical devices.  FDA will inspect manufacturers to ensure that they are practicing Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and all drugs and medical devices (i.e., glutaraldehyde, sterilizers, spore strips, surgical masks, sutures, pace makers, surgical instruments, etc.) must have their testing protocols and results submitted for review and clearance prior to being marketed.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides science-based assistance to state and local health departments in the control and prevention of disease, injury, and disability.  Emphasis has been placed on health promotion and education in order to reduce the impact of smoking-related diseases, injury, HIV and chronic disease prevention.   The National Center for Health Statistics has recently joined the CDC.  The CDC is also responsible for writing infection control guidelines for the hospital and dental environment, for the control of TB and pneumonia, to name a few.

OSAP is an organization of clinicians, auxiliaries, scientists, educators, policy makers, industry representatives, and allied agency and association representatives dedicated to promoting and advancing dental infection control and practice safety worldwide.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration monitors the workplace for optimal safety of all workers.  Its standards are law and are based on the premise that all employers must provide a safe work environment, free from physical, chemical, biological and noise hazards.  There are four Industry Standards, one of which is the General Industry Standard, into which the following standards fall: Bloodborne Pathogens, Chemical Hazard Communication, Personal Protective Equipment, Emergency Response, Medical First Aid, Fire Safety, etc.  There are 19 standards in the General Industry Standard alone.

AAMI is a unique alliance of nearly 6,000 members united by the common goal of increasing the understanding and beneficial use of medical instrumentation.  AAMI is the primary source of consensus and timely information on medical instrumentation and technology, and is the primary resource for the industry, the professions, and government for national and international standards.

The Joint Commission Evaluates and accredits nearly 18,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, non-for-profit organization, JCAHO is the nation's predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Since 1651, JCAHO has developed state-of-the-art, professionally based standards and evaluated the compliance of health care organization against these benchmarks.

AORN is the professional organization of perioperative registered nurses whose mission is to promote quality patient care by providing its members with education, standards, services, and representation.  AORN is composed of approximately 41,000 perioperative registered nurses in the United States and abroad who manage, teach, and practice perioperative nursing; who are enrolled in nursing education; and who are engaged in perioperative research.