The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a division of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published an online article entitled “Needlesticks are Preventable” to remind healthcare personnel about the importance of sharps safety in…
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency (LWDA), which oversees the California Department of Industrial Relations, recently launched a new COVID-19 Employer Website and Portal, a one-stop hub for California employers to quickly…
In late 2020, the American Dental Association (ADA) issued the Technical Report Guidance on Method Development and Validation of Cleaning Processes for Dental Instruments to help guide manufacturers of reusable dental instruments on developing and validating reprocessing instructions that follow…
On January 4, the Director of the California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) issued a waiver to permit dentists to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to patients. According to the waiver, dentists in California with required training may independently initiate and…
November 2020 marks the twentieth anniversary of the federal Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act, which mandated the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to add safety provisions to the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. These included: New requirements for the evaluation and…
Because gatherings with family and friends who do not live with you can increase the chances of getting or spreading COVID-19, the safest way to celebrate the winter holidays this year is to celebrate at home with the people with whom…
On December 10, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that proposed amendments to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule are being submitted to the Office of the Federal Register for review and…
With the end of the year drawing near, as we prepare to usher in 2021, December is a good time to review and evaluate office safety policies and procedures to ensure compliance and their effectiveness. Using a safety assessment checklist…
On October 28, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a recall notice that Sunstar Americas, Inc. (SAI) is voluntarily recalling Paroex® Chlorhexidine Gluconate Oral Rinse USP, 0.12% products bearing an expiration date from 6/30/22 – 9/30/22 because it…
According to a News Release by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) dated October 21, 2020, the EPA has now approved more than 500 surface disinfectant products with proven efficacy against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes Coronavirus Disease 2019…
