Tag Archives: OSHA Finable Offenses

Dentists Loose $39,000 During (1) OSHA Inspection Visit! How Will Your Practice Stand Up to The Same Measures…?

It can happen so unsuspectingly:  A quick-to-boil, disgruntled employee; An impulsive, disenchanted patient; And a simple phone call to OSHA.   One overlooked OSHA protocol– that leads to another– and then a third (as in this case).  The loose ends added up quickly when the OSHA Inspector began measuring this tally!

A Compliance Audit, like this one,… can quickly precipitate  disaster for the dental office, unaware of new changes in:  Infection Control , Required Waste & Recycling Containers & Dental Chair Unit Water Quality Regulations.  Oversights may be seemingly innocent: “We didn’t know that rules had changed”, “We are only a few months past-due for our OSHA Training Course” & “We just were not paying attention.”  Comments like these, should never be uttered by dental personnel nor touch an OSHA Inspectors ears.

Yet this incident, unassuming, well-intentioned dental office received (3) costly OSHA violations due to:  admitted negligence and obliviousness.  OSHA takes non-compliance seriously!  A major win for the OSHA Inspector; A $39,780 mistake for the (practice owner), Dentist.  Read on to discover how to avoid this plight and get your office on the road to comprehensive OSHA success!…

Did you know, that every January, www.osha.gov  & the Department of Labor Agencies, publish their new Penalty Increases.  Take a look at the 2019 “price-you’ll-pay” for ignoring to the 100+ Safety Protocols currently required to be operational in your dental office:

Type of Violation Penalty
Serious &
Other-Than-Serious

$13,260 per violation
Failure to Abate $13,260 per day beyond the abatement date
Willful or Repeated $132,598 per violation
https://www.osha.gov/penalties/

The Penalties Inflation Adjustment Improvement Act of 2015 established an “Allowable Increase Rule” that lets these agencies adjust their assessed penalty levels, upward, every year.  And they do just that!  Since 2015, it seems OSHA & the DOL slap-on an average 10% increase to exceed the prior year’s average penalty rates. 

This year, the OSHA penalties will start at $13,260 per violation.  In addition, the maximum penalty allowed for “failure-to-abate” violations are $13,260 – that’s for every day that an employer fails to abate (1) specific violation!  Finally, the maximum penalty allowed for “willful or repeated” violations is $132,598!   This is 10 times the maximum permitted for “serious” & other-than-serious” violations.  These fees, undeniably, would be astounding and threatening to any dental practice.

What’s the cure?…

Get “in-the-know”!  Stay “in-the-know”, about current & evolving OSHA laws.  Make sure to include (3) components to build a truly comprehensive OSHA Program within your office: Annual Employee Compliance Training, All Required Paperwork & Up-to-Date Facility Protocols

Incorporate Annual OSHA Employee Training for all employees. Be sure to include full-timers & part-timers; clinical as well as non-clinical employees.   Currently there are (45) Required OSHA Learning Point that should be covered in this year’s Annual OSHA Training.

Apply what you learn in your facility!  There are over 100 protocols to set up within your facility. Set your plan into action!  Its best to work with compliance trainers that provide a “recap” of your training in report format.  Then make sure you can reach your Trainers for additional guidance, clarification and support as you set up your protocols.  Getting the assistance during your set-up phase will be a critical key to your success.

Don’t forget the paperwork!  OSHA inspectors will check for required OSHA documents first!  When entering your office, they will want to see required documents, that are up-to-date.  Be sure to include:   Employee Forms & Acknowledgements, OSHA Manual written to GHS & Current CDC Infection Control Standards & new OSHA / GHS SDS Sheets in (2) varying formats.     

What do you do now?:  Get compressively compliant–then stay comprehensively compliant!   How?  Align with a compliance resource that provides “a relationship” along with your training, manuals, forms & protocol checklists.  One that you can reach out to 24/7 for guidance, clarification and updates.  We suggest this ALL IN ONE DXL Program.  It provides everything, plus, 24/7 access to Dental OSHA & HIPAA Coaches that become part of your team’s success.  It the relationship package.  And one of the best rated in the industry.

Need more guidance?  Contact an OSHA / HIPAA Coach for a confidential Discovery Meeting by calling 941-587-2864 or email us, anytime.  We are happy to help!

Top 10 things you do not want to say to an OSHA inspector

Not sure if you are aware but many States are hiring additional OSHA Inspectors for more penetration into the workplace.   Dental Offices are especially being profiled.

In recent months several dental offices have been made examples of for gross negligence in infection control processes.  New Hampshire Orthodontist and Oklahoma Oral Surgeon.  Now let’s focus on what you would never want to say to an OSHA Inspector:

 

1.     “Shoot, I don’t think our autoclave is working today.  Can we just use bleach on the instruments?”

 

2.    “What do you mean I can’t wear my dirty scrubs home.  I wear them to the grocery store after work all the time.”

 

3.    “Hold on a second, I have to run this dirty needle down the hall to the sterilization area.”

 

4.    “Where is my Big Red Bag?  I have a big red beach bag at home, is that what you mean?”

 

5.    “Yes, we always drink coffee up here at the front desk, and I keep snacks right here in this drawer for convenience.”

 

6.    “What do you mean we have to do these Spore Strip Tests Weekly?”

 

7.    “What do you mean we have to send these Spore Strip Tests out to a Third Party for evaluation, we do that all in-house!”

 

8.    “GHS Certified?, No we don’t have that. We are CPR Certified!”

 

9.    “We do not have Pictograms, but Suzie got a Pajam-a-gram for her birthday at the office last week!”

 

10.  “OSHA — Sm-OSHA, we have patients to see around here. We don’t have time for that.”

 

So much for poking a little fun at the regulations.  Seriously, many dental offices do not know where unsafe behavior starts and where compliance begins!  Don’t be caught unprepared or looking uneducated.  Saying that you are unaware of the laws will only infuriate most OSHA Inspectors.  Make sure you choose an OSHA Compliance Training Company that will help you get all regulations in place.  Choose one that will help you with understanding the laws, implementing all of the requirements and that is available for direct questions you may have when putting your protocols in place.

 

Say what you need to say to Mr. OSHA Inspector, but say it with confidence and conviction.

 

Written by Jill Obrochta & Heather Whitt of Dental Enhancements.

 

 

 

 

Dental Office: Is Free OSHA Really Worth It?

We’ve all been there:  The Supply Rep brings in a decadent sandwich tray, you are eyeing the chocolate chip cookies, wondering if it’s worth the indulgence.  Then you decide, you really must munch on something sweet just to tolerate the next 45 minutes of OSHA yammering!  Is the free lunchtime OSHA really worth it?

Well, let’s face it:  Free is free. And while you may get a review of safety laws and the convoluted requirements of OSHA, nothing free really amounts to much.  Especially, when the OSHA Inspector shows up at your dental office ready to shoot holes through your Free OSHA Compliance Program.  (Uggh… Agida!  <hick-up>)

Let’s avoid the belly-aching and review the proper, comprehensive way to set up your OSHA Compliance Program.  A really good OSHA Compliance Program will have (3) components. Don’t leave any of these out:

1.   Have an Annual OSHA Employee Training Session

A proper OSHA Training Session requires you review and fully understand up to (23) areas of compliance.  Make sure you have a certificate that references all 23 areas and that all employees sign off on this.

2.  Obtain & Fill-Out All Required OSHA Employee Paperwork

There are (5) required forms for each employee to fill out.  Make sure your receptionists and part-timers are included in this paper fiasco too.  Everyone must comply.

3.  Make Sure Your Facility is up to Complete OSHA Compliance

Choose a compliance company that has expertise in all OSHA regulations for the dental office.  One that can offer a customized facility report for your office then help you get the recommendations into place.

So in the end, there really are no “free lunches”.  Get yourself aligned with an OSHA Training Company that provides the “whole enchilada”.  It’s easier on the palate and won’t come back up on you later.  <burrrp>

 

Written by Jill Obrochta & Heather Whitt of Dental Enhancements

 

Dental Office OSHA: 3 Key Factors to Success

 

Creating an OSHA Compliance Program for your dental office can be a daunting task.  If the thought of implementing or updating your OSHA program makes you cringe, want to pull your hair out or quit your job….Hang-in there, there’s help!

The key is to choose an OSHA Compliance Training Company that is comprehensive, hands-on with the required protocols and easy-to-work-with.  You want an OSHA Company that is “on your side” not policing for osha.gov.  Below are (3) Key Factors to keep in mind when creating or updating your dental office OSHA program:

 

1.    Be Sure your Program is Comprehensive:  In the recent year, there were sweeping changes with regards to OSHA compliance.  In 2013, OSHA mandated that dental offices begin to implement the Global Harmonization System (GHS).  This means that by December 1, 2013 you should have at least had your team trained to the GHS-Standard and be able to show proof of this training.  OSHA manuals will need to be updated to the GHS standard as well as your employee paperwork.  Proof-of-GHS-Training is a requirement, so you will want to have a GHS-Certificate or its equivalent.  Make sure to choose a comprehensive GHS training solution.  It will make your life with this new protocol logical and less stressed!

 

2.   Work with OSHA Experts:  New protocols?!!  Uggh!… that’s enough to realize:   “You don’t know what you don’t know…(but you need to!)  And Mr. OSHA Inspector….doesn’t care!”  Don’t risk being caught-up in an OSHA inspection and being called-out on not having these important and cumbersome new protocols in place.  It’s not worth the time and aggravation a prolonged OSHA Inspection is sure to bring. Choose an OSHA compliance company that will have your back and make it easy. (We love one in particular!)

 

3.   Update, Update, Update!  It never ends!  No, I’m serious.  Just because you get the GHS Standards under-your-belt and in place within your dental office, don’t think the buck stops there!  Compliance will always come with updates.  It’s the name-of-the game.  Again, make sure you choose an OSHA Compliance Training Company that will be your “OSHA dental tooth fairy”.  One that will share updates with you throughout the year and also maintain an interactive relationship with you so you can be comfortable and confident in getting your OSHA groove-on.  (What do you think they will leave under the pillow?)

 

Remember these (3) factors are the key to your OSHA compliance success.  Don’t be fooled, it’s not that easy.  Go search-out your OSHA Tooth Fairy now!

 

Written by Jill Obrochta & Heather Whitt of Dental Enhancements.