Top 5 Things Your Dental Office Should Have in Place to get an A+ rating from an OSHA Inspector
Did you know? This year, OSHA Inspectors are out in full force and they’re scrutinizing dental offices more than ever! Why? Well in recent months it seems the media has targeted several dentists, nationwide, that have had “less than ideal” Infection Control Protocols. Now let’s focus on the positive: What should your dental office have in place for Mr. OSHA Inspector:
- Employee Paperwork: Make sure all employees have HEP B Vaccination Records, Proof-of-Annual OSHA Employee Training, Proof-of-Global Harmonization System Training, Occupational Exposures Document and Medical History on file for all employees.
- New Global Harmonization System (GHS) Protocols & Paperwork: GHS was mandated to be in place in all dental offices since December 1, 2013. This means you need: Proof-of-GHS Employee Training, a New OSHA Manual written to GHS Standards, Conversion of your USA–MSDS Sheets to the new International SDS Sheets and a diagram of the new Pictograms posted within your office dwelling. If you don’t have your act together with regards to GHS, consider a comprehensive GHS Solution.
- Required Labels & Stickers: You will need both: Hazard Rating Labels at the point-of-use to represent all of your dental products, as well a,s Bio Hazard Labels at all biohazardous areas within your office. (i.e.: at radiation buttons, on soiled laundry bins, at suction traps)
- Proper number of Sharps Containers and Red Bags within your office: Now required at the point-of-use are small sharps disposals and red bags for soft soiled waste. It is not prudent or safe to walk with or re-handle soiled waste. Make sure you place “point-of-use” disposal containers in all of your operatories.
- Sterilization & Disinfection Logs and Receipts: Keep all of these documents together in an organized binder in chronological order. Inspectors will want: Biomedical Waste Pick-Up Receipts, Spore Test Results and Cold Sterile Changing Logs for the past 3 years.
So does your office make the grade? 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 OSHA requirements will only infuriate most OSHA Inspectors. Make sure you choose an OSHA Compliance Training Company that will assist you in getting all requirements in place. Choose one that will help you with understanding and implementing all of the requirements and that will help direct you when putting your protocols in place.
Written by Jill Obrochta & Heather Whitt of Dental Enhancements.
Got Compliance Questions? Call us: 941-587-2864
New Hampshire Ortho:
http://www.wmur.com/news/new-hampshire-board-of-dental-examiners-to-decide-if-orthodontists-license-will-be-reinstated/26133408
Oklahoma Oral Surgeon
http://www.dentistryiq.com/articles/2013/03/osap-comments-on-tulsa-oral-surgeons-infection-control-violation.html
