OSHA for Dental Offices: Streamline Safety With These Key Requirements

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets standards that dental offices must meet to ensure the health and safety of patients and employees. Dental professionals and patients face risks like exposure to bloodborne pathogens, burns from hazardous chemicals, and ergonomic injuries, making OSHA compliance a must.

Does your dental office meet OSHA standards? Learn how to ensure compliance with OSHA for dental offices while streamlining the process.

Understanding OSHA’s Role in Dental Offices

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) seeks to ensure workplace safety in industries across the U.S. You may commonly hear about this administration’s role in the construction industry, standardizing the personal protective equipment and practices workers must follow to prevent injuries on job sites.

Within the dental field, OSHA seeks to prevent patient and employee exposure to hazardous substances, such as bloodborne pathogens, chemical agents, and other potentially infectious materials. It does this by implementing standards or rules dental employers must meet.

Failure to comply with Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards puts your dental office at risk of legal ramifications. You may face significant fines, damage to your reputation, and loss of patients for violating these federal regulations.

Key OSHA Regulations for Dental Practices

Complying with OSHA for dental offices involves following two key standards — the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard and the Hazard Communication Standard — along with the General Duty Clause, which requires you to keep your workplace free from hazards that could cause serious physical harm. Compliance helps you maintain a safe and healthful workplace.

Bloodborne Pathogens Standard

Dental practitioners encounter blood and saliva during virtually every dental procedure. The OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard prevents the spread of pathogens from patients to employees and vice versa.

This standard requires dental practitioners to have a written Exposure Control Plan, provide free Hepatitis B immunization to exposed employees, and supply personal protective equipment at no extra cost. Your practice can streamline the documentation of staff vaccinations and training with Weave’s digital forms.

Hazard Communication Standard

The OSHA Hazard Communication Standard mitigates the risk of chemical hazards, including disinfectants, acids, impression materials, and other hazardous chemical products. This standard requires your practice to create a written chemical safety plan, safety data sheets for all hazardous substances, and labels for each substance. It also requires you to provide OSHA training on how to respond to occupational exposures.

Ergonomics and Workplace Safety

Dental procedures place repetitive strain on hygienists and other dental professionals. While OSHA does not have an ergonomics standard, it offers guidance that can be enforced under the General Duty Clause. Dental employers can supply chairs and equipment that promote good posture, encourage chairside stretching, and teach employees about safe postures.

Creating an OSHA Compliance Plan

One way to streamline OSHA for dental offices is with a detailed OSHA compliance plan. This document invites your practices to address all the OSHA compliance issues and workplace hazards you may face, enact prevention measures, and detail how you would respond to accidents.

Conducting a Hazard Assessment

Start by creating a hazard assessment to identify all recognized hazards within your dental office. Be sure to customize this to your practice — for example, if you offer laser dentistry, you will need to establish specialized safety protocols for all related equipment.

Employee Training and Documentation

Providing ongoing training is another crucial aspect of promoting compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Training all staff, including new hires, helps by encouraging continual improvement in your workplace and reminding employees of the importance of OSHA compliance. Be sure to document all training for compliance purposes.

OSHA Inspection: What To Expect and How To Prepare

Your dental office can expect to undergo a major OSHA inspection at least once per year. During this inspection, an OSHA officer will review your adherence to its regulatory enforcement programs, evaluate hazards, and respond to any complaints your practice has received.

Prepping for an Inspection

While OSHA inspections are typically random, you can prepare for an inspection by maintaining up-to-date records at all times and placing a designated dental practitioner in charge of OSHA compliance.

Responding to OSHA Citations

If your practice receives an OSHA citation during an inspection, you will need to:

1. Fix the hazard or violation by the indicated date.
2. Post the citation in a visible area.
3. Discuss the citation with an OSHA area director if you need further clarification.
4. Contest the citation if you disagree with it.
5. If you agree with the citation, provide a written action plan for resolving the issue.

OSHA Checklist for Dental Offices

Ensure ongoing compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration by creating a checklist directly from the OSHA manual that all employees can review and follow. Use these checklists as inspiration for complying with OSHA for dental offices.

Daily and Weekly Tasks

The following essential tasks should be part of your practice’s daily routine:

• Update all records.
• Clean and sanitize workstations.
• Update labels for hazardous chemicals.

Your practice should perform the following tasks at least once per week:

• Monitor employee use of PPE and make corrections.
• Check sterilization equipment to ensure proper functioning.
• Review new employees’ vaccination records and provide Hepatitis B vaccinations within 10 days of employment.
• Locate your copy of your OSHA manual.

Monthly and Annual Tasks

These tasks should make up your monthly OSHA checklist:

• Schedule employee safety training refreshers.
• Review and update your written safety data sheets.
• Restock medical and first aid equipment.
• Identify and resolve gaps in recordkeeping.

At least once per year, your practice should:

• Conduct a hazard assessment.
• Review and evaluate safer sharps devices.
• Look for new state or local laws or other federal agency guidelines that can prevent occupational exposure.

Maintaining compliance with OSHA for dental offices helps your practice avoid penalties and ensures a safe and efficient working environment for all.

With the help of Weave’s scheduling, reminders, and digital forms, your dental clinic can streamline your compliance efforts and focus more of your time and attention on providing excellent care. Get a demo today to see how Weave’s solutions can transform your dental practice.