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The E-Digest OSHA Compliance & Practice Safety Newsletter - Issue 29 – February 2008 Brought to you by SafetyVet.com!
In this issue:
This
e-mail is being sent to you because you subscribed via our web site. Welcome to this issue of The E-Digest OSHA Compliance & Practice Safety Newsletter! We've added this service to our web site and it's FREE, so pass the word. The E-Digest covers a whole range of safety and OSHA compliance topics in each issue so there's something for everyone! The articles are all specific to the veterinary profession. Every couple of months you'll receive a new issue of The E-Digest Newsletter packed full of useful information and links to resources on the web that are selected specifically to enhance your hospital's safety operations! And as always, if we can be of further assistance, don't
hesitate to call on us. In most buildings, especially those more than two years old, particulates, carbon dioxide and chemical odors are the most common indoor air pollutants. Particulates include tobacco smoke, dust, hair or dander (dead skin cells). Particles from animals and humans float freely on the air currents throughout the building and eventually settle in the form of dust, however, a significant amount of these particulates are inhaled by the occupants of the building. Similarly, housekeeping chemicals, drugs and pesticides from operations are a great concern in the veterinary practice because of the quantities and frequency with which they are used. And in a medical facility such as a veterinary practice, there are always microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi floating around in the practice as well! A good housekeeping plan is a must for every practice, so read about the issue on this page of our web site: http://www.safetyvet.com/osha/houskeep.htm
____________________________________________________ Not really. There are three problems with this scenario: 1) OSHA expects the practice leadership to use “engineering controls”(such as a scavenger) and “procedural controls” to solve safety problems BEFORE they resort to the use of Personal Protective Equipment. That means, among other things, there must be an effective scavenging system in place that removes the waste anesthetic gasses and the anesthetic machine must be checked for leaks before each and every procedure. Following these engineering and procedural controls, the exposure to the employee in the operating room should be virtually non-existent. The combination of effective WAG scavenging systems and strict procedural controls is normally very adequate to virtually eliminate the exposure in the operating room altogether. 2) Given the necessity for a WAG scavenger, the real chance for exposure is during the recovery portion of the procedure and it’s just not practical for the staff member to walk around wearing a respirator all day. Wearing the respirator during surgery, when the exposure should be “non-existent” if all the rules are followed will not increase the level of safety for the employee. 3) When a respirator is used in the workplace to control a hazard, even voluntarily, the practice must comply with the very strict rules set forth in OSHA’s Respiratory Protection Standard (1910.134), which include such provisions as medical evaluations of employees required to use respirators, specific procedures and schedules for cleaning, disinfecting, storing, inspecting, repairing, discarding, and otherwise maintaining respirators, and of course, specific employee training. A better approach would be to test the employee’s exposure using a monitoring badge before any decisions are made. Click here for our Suggested Source Sheet on WAG monitoring badges: http://www.safetyvet.com/images/WAGbadg.pdf And you can read more about this topic on this page: http://www.safetyvet.com/osha/respsurg.htm ____________________________________________________ Food and Drink in the Veterinary Practice There is no regulation that requires any practice to provide a break room for the staff; however, if the practice ALLOWS the staff to store, prepare or consume food on the premises, the practice must provide a place that is free from biological and chemical hazards. In short, the staff can not be allowed to store, prepare or consume food in areas where these hazards exist. And of course, more information on the hazards of eating and drinking in the veterinary practice can be found at: http://www.safetyvet.com/osha/food.htm
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Registration is open now and the course starts on April 21, 2008! This course is designed for the Safety Director, practice owner or administrator who desires to understand OSHA's Standards and the most practical ways to implement them in a veterinary practice. We attempt to avoid debating the merits of “government oversight” and focus on how to achieve compliance! This course will cover ALL aspects of a hospital safety program, not just the Hazard Communication Standard. My newest regulatory manual (5th Edition) is the textbook for the course and is included in the registration fee! For course information and registration, visit: http://www.vin.com/CE/PRAC100-0408.htm
____________________________________________________ Practices with more than 10 employees are reminded that a summary of workplace injuries and illnesses that occurred last year (2007) must be posted for three months beginning February 1 and lasting through April 30. The summary form (OSHA Form 300A) must list the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2007 and were logged on the OSHA 300 form (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses). When required, this form must be displayed in a common area where notices to workers are normally posted. The annual requirement is part of OSHA's recordkeeping regulations. To read more about OSHA’s recordkeeping rules and how they apply to the veterinary practice, visit this web page: http://www.safetyvet.com/osha/recordkeeping.htm ____________________________________________________ Have Fun & Be Safe :-) Philip Seibert, CVT
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