|
|
|
Messages Forum>
OSHA Requirements for a Clinic
Sara Mclane, TN
Guest
Nov 03, 2008
5:48 AM
|
We are in the process of setting up a clinic, what are the basic OSHA requirements that we need to address?
|
thomaskappil
10 posts
Nov 03, 2008
11:39 PM
|
Thank you very much for your question. While we are happy to tell you what you must do, you didn't specify whether it's a medical or dental clinic. It does not matter, though, as many OSHA regulations are common for both medical and dental clinics. However, we have specific set of manuals for medical and dental clinics.
Many OSHA regulations and their requirements have been discussed in our OSHA Manual. But some of the other compliance strategies (what OSHA regulations will not tell you) are discussed below.
1. If it's a new building housing your clinic, the walls will be newly painted. If it isn't, please make sure the walls are well painted and each room looks well-lit and clean. Make sure the office is not cluttered with chairs, tables and equipment. There should be enough room for movement of patients as well as staff. During one of my inspections, I found a dental clinic in NW Houston to be ill-maintained. So much so, there was an OSHA inspection and several citations were issued by OSHA.
2. Please ensure that sharps containers are available in patient areas preferably located in a lockable wall-mounted cabinet. This is to prevent needlestick injuries.
3. Foot-operated biohazard waste containers with biohazard liners must be provided in each patient area. Transporter's biohazard box with a lid may be kept at a place restricted to public, usually in the housekeeping room. It is recommended that biohazard/medical/dental wastes from the patient areas are emptied at the end of each working day and deposited in the transporter's box for disposal. Periodic pick up by the transporter may be arranged depending on how much waste is generated. There is no federal or state regulation that suggests how often the wastes must be disposed by a clinic.
4. Upon initial employment, it's best to provide training to employees within 10 days. Even if the employee is OSHA trained, he or she may not know the specific procedures that are in place at the clinic. A well trained staff can go over the clinic's safety processes and procedures. Please ensure the training record is maintained and kept in a file.
5. Annual training for each employee is mandatory and could be done by a qualified OSHA trainer, preferably from outside. At the end of the training, an OSHA audit of the facility may also be conducted.
6. Medical records of each employee must be kept at the office. Privacy concerns of the employees with regard to their medical conditions must be addressed.
7. Evacuation plan, Emergency Exit signs in case of an emergency should be displayed.
8. Well constructed safety plans (bloodborne pathogen exposure control plan, chemical hazard communication plan, fire prevention plan, etc) for your facility are mandatory. Please ensure you prepare and update them annually and read by all employees.
These are some of the ways that you can comply with OSHA requirements. Our OSHA manual for physicians or dentists details every healthcare-specific OSHA Standard thoroughly and will make your compliance very easy.
Last Edited on 4-Nov-2008 1:15 AM
|
|
|
