Both OSHA and state dental boards require dental personnel to adhere to infection control standards in the office, including the use personal protective equipment (PPE). Most people know what should be worn to protect themselves from bodily fluids – exam…
Establishing and cultivating a culture of safety and well-being in the workplace is an integral part of an office health and safety policy. And it starts with valuing employees and treating them with respect, especially since most OSHA inspections are triggered…
Two main regulatory agencies, the Dental Board of California (DBC)and Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), require employee education and training in a dental office. However, they have separate requirements with very different objectives. Employee safety is the sole focus of Cal/OSHA…
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) exempts dentistry, as a low-risk industry (NAICS Code – 6212), from maintaining the OSHA Form 300 Log and posting the OSHA Form 300A Summary. Businesses with more than 10 employees in a…
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the federal occupational safety and health enforcement agency, covering all employees in the nation either directly through OSHA or through an OSHA-approved State Plan. State-run safety and health programs must be…
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration launched a campaign called Safe + Sound to raise awareness about the importance of teamwork, leadership, and commitment to safety at work. According to the campaign, “every workplace should have a safety and…
We are often asked if staff can wear their scrubs home from the office, or if staff can launder their scrubs at home. The answer to both of these questions is essentially the same: If the scrubs are worn as…
Safe parenteral injection practices are intended to prevent transmission of infectious diseases between one patient and another, or between a patient and dental personnel during preparation and injection of medications. Dental personnel most frequently perform parenteral injections when administering local…
Reusable contaminated protective attire must be laundered in accordance with Cal/OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. Cal/OSHA defines “contaminated laundry” to be “laundry which has been soiled with blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) or may contain sharps”. Employees may NOT…
Nobody expects an emergency or a disaster to happen. Yet, emergencies and disasters can strike anyone, anytime, anywhere. Employers should establish effective safety and health management systems that prepare employees for emergencies to ensure that employers and workers have the…
