Page 50 - Compendium Chapters for Course 1 (IC, DPA, OSHA)

Not all States are required to have certain elements of an OSHA Manual that California does – specifically a written Injury and Illness Prevention Program. This is unique to California and we will review this aspect of compliance later in this chapter.
Hazard Communication has a very specific purpose – to communicate the chemical hazards of each of the materials and solutions used by an employee in the commission of their specific duties and functions. For example, if an employee is required as part of their job description to clean the glass of the front office desk window, then the cleaner in which he/she uses to perform that task must have a communication protocol in place in the event the employee should spill, ingest or other harm themselves while suing the product.
Personnel responsible for handling storage of supplies should have knowledge of OSHA and the federal guidelines regarding the use and storage of materials handled in the dental office. In doing so, the Hazard Communication Officer must make certain that Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for each product are current and properly organized for easy access by employees.
Dental offices are required to have material safety data sheets on file that contain the following product information:
1. Name, address, and emergency telephone number of the manufacturer who makes the chemical or material.
2. Hazardous ingredient data, such as permissible exposure limits.
3. Physical and chemical data that includes boiling and melting points, evaporation rate, vapor pressure, and water solubility.
4. Fire and explosion hazard data, such as flash point, flammable limits, and extinguishing media.
5. Reactivity data that includes stability and conditions to avoid, incompatibility, and any hazardous by-products.
6. Health hazard data, such as eye, skin, and respiratory protection, routes of entry, carcinogenicity, signs and symptoms of exposure, and emergency and first-aid procedures.
7. Precautions for safe handling and work practices such as handling and storing precautions, waste disposal method, normal clean up, and waste disposal methods.
8. Control measures, such as respiratory protection, ventilation needs, protective clothing or equipment, and safe work practices.
Intro Page - 50
Introductory Chapter: Dental Practice Act, Infection Control and Cal-OSHA
The California RDAEF: A Compendium for Licensure Success © The Foundation for Allied Dental Education, Inc. 2016 Copyright protected. All rights reserved