OSHA Information & Programs For Healthcare Practices
Information topics and Frequently Asked Questions are selected from the regulations and the latest information published by regulatory and advisory agencies and from questions received in the TMC Client Services Call Center.
Total Medical Compliance has been providing OSHA in-office compliance programs and products for healthcare practices since 1996. Now this assistance is available anywhere in the US through online programs and webinars.
OSHA COMPLIANCE INFORMATIONInformation on regulatory guidance, reference documents and the latest interpretations and news to assist you with compliance issues and topics listed.
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OSHA COMPLIANCE PROGRAMSRead more about TMC programs and products to assist you with compliance in a way that best suits your needs. |
OSHA Modifies the Hazard Communication Standard
OSHA expects to publish the final regulations on the Hazard Communication Standard modifications in August 2011. The impact will be felt by all healthcare providers as OSHA requires modification to all HCS policies and plans, MSDS manuals, chemical labels and mandates employee training requirements to accommodate the changes. Practices will need to update most, if not all, MSDS, redesign all secondary labels and teach employees how to read both.
OSHA Regulations Require an Annual Review of Safety Sharps
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act, effective April 18, 2001, which requires all health care providers to incorporate the use of safer medical devices in their practices. The regulation includes a provision that requires practices to conduct and document an annual review of safety needle technologies and involve employees who use the devices in the evaluation and selection process.
In 2010 OSHA inspections, inspectors requested information on how employee feedback was requested and documentation on the employee feedback.
Glutaraldehyde – Safe Use & Spill Cleanup
Glutaraldehydes are used in healthcare settings most often to high-level disinfect semi-critical medical devices that are not heat tolerant and thus cannot be placed in an autoclave.
It is important to know how to use glutaraldehyde solutions effectively to ensure items are safe for use on the patient. In addition, it is equally important to know how to use glutaraldehydes safely to prevent personnel and patient exposure to the solution and vapors as glutaraldehyde is a skin, eye, and respiratory irritant. Read more about glutaraldehyde use and clean-up in the event of a spill as well as what OSHA has to say about the safe use of glutaraldehyde.
OSHA Guidance on Glutaraldehyde
Mercury – Spill Prevention & Cleanup
Mercury can be found in a variety of items such as fever thermometers, thermostats, sphygmomanometers, dental amalgam and irons. Breathing mercury vapors can be very dangerous. Small children and pregnant women are at highest risk for mercury poisoning, but mercury poisoning can impact anyone.
Take immediate action to clean-up a spill. Read more on the correct way to clean-up a spill and dispose of the mercury to protect patients, employees and the environment.
Better yet, start now to eliminate Mercury from the office to prevent a possible spill. When it is not possible to eliminate Mercury altogether, take action to store and dispose of it properly.
Infectious Waste Disposal – South Carolina
Every practice that generates infectious waste must register with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). You must renew your registration every three years [R.61-105.F(3)]. In 2010 the regulations were updated by SC and those updates do impact small quantity generators. Read more about the requirements and access the new regulations and guidance.
Is your office ready for an OSHA Inspection?
An OSHA inspection of a compliant office is not a reason for concern. There are however many OSHA standards that are applicable to a medical or dental facility and some may be overlooked. Even if you think your office is compliant with OSHA an extra look may save you time and money. This inspection checklist was developed from dozens of OSHA inspections conducted in North Carolina in 2010 and 2011.
Is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Nice to Have or Is It Required?
Take a minute to walk through your practice and look around to see what PPE is in use? If procedures are being performed that generate splash or splatter, is the employees’ face protected as well as their hands and arms? How about employees handling sharp instruments during the decontamination process: are they wearing the appropriate utility gloves and face protection?
Working in a healthcare practice puts certain employees at risk to exposure to blood or body fluids. This exposure may occur through contact with a contaminated needle or sharp instrument, a chemical or blood splash to the eyes, nose, or mouth, or a splash to skin that is not intact.
Personal protective equipment is key to providing a certain level of safety to all employees involved in patient care. Not only is PPE nice to have, it is also required by the Bloodborne Pathogen Standard and the standard is very clear.
OSHA Inspectors May Require Posting of Federal Ionizing Radiation Regulations
OSHA inspectors may ask for the Federal regulation on the Dangers of Ionizing Radiation during an inspection of your office. In NC, where OSHA unscheduled inspections of medical and dental offices have been underway since January 2010, inspectors are often looking for the regulations. These regulations must be posted in the office even though the State Radiation inspectors do not ask for or require them.
