As a dentist, your patient's safety is a top priority. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires all workplaces that use hazardous chemicals—including dental practices—to outline and implement a hazard communication program. The purpose of this program is to educate your staff on how to handle the materials and ensure the safety of everyone who enters the office. 

OSHA lays out its requirements for these programs in its Hazard Communication Standard, also known as HAZCOM or HCS. Here's what you need to know about applying the standard to a hazard communication program in your dental office.

Assign Hazard Communication Program Leaders

OSHA recommends choosing one person in your office to coordinate your hazard communication program efforts. This person can then assign more minor responsibilities to other staff members. Asking employees to take ownership in this way will engage them in the program and help ensure its successful implementation. 

Learn the Key Elements of HCS

The employee in charge of leading the hazard communication in your dental office should become familiar with OSHA's Hazard Communication Standards. You can get a copy of the entire HCS from OSHA's website, but here are the key elements:

Classifying Hazards 

Before creating your program, you must identify which hazardous materials are present in your practice and what their hazardous properties are. For example, some materials are flammable, irritative, corrosive, toxic, or explosive. 

Typical hazardous materials in dental offices include mercury, silica dust, nitrous oxide, hydroquinone, and beryllium. Your office's cleaning supplies for infection control may also include hazardous components. Waste containing biological materials, such as blood and saliva, is also considered a hazard. 

Labeling Containers

Once you identify the hazardous materials in your office, you must label them according to OSHA hazard communication standards. Labels should include the following information:

• Product name or identifier 
• Hazard classifications of the product
• Pictograms that illustrate the hazard classification
• Signal words indicating a hazard, such as warning or danger
• Precautionary information for safe handling
• Contact information of the manufacturer and supplier

At a minimum, any container holding hazardous materials must include information about the type of material, how it can be a hazard, and how to handle it safely.

Maintaining Safety Data Sheets

Safety Data Sheets contain detailed information about each hazardous material in your dental office. These sheets must be readily accessible to your employees at all times. Suppliers should send these sheets to your office along with the materials, but sometimes you may need to request them. 

Create and Communicate Your Program

OSHA requires you to create a written version of the hazard communication program for your dental office to share with employees. The document must include the following items: 

• A list of all the hazardous materials in your office 
• Your plan for implementing a labeling system
• Your plan for maintaining Safety Data Sheets
• Your employee training plan

Dental Intelligence's dental office communication solution can help you effectively disseminate the plan and other important information to your employees. 

Train Employees to Follow the Program

OSHA mandates that you educate and train all your employees according to its standards and the steps in your written hazard communication program. This hazard communication training must occur before employees begin their work assignments and any time you introduce new hazardous materials into your workplace. 

Regularly Evaluate Your Program

It's wise to periodically evaluate the hazard communication program for your dental office to ensure that it's still relevant and effective. These reviews will also allow you to make updates for shifting workplace conditions and any changes to OSHA's requirements. By routinely evaluating your program, you can confidently prepare for inevitable OSHA inspections and avoid violations. 

Work With a Trusted Partner

If you're beginning to implement a hazard communication program in your dental office, consider working with a digital solution provider such as Dental Intelligence. Our tools can help you save time and manage the process—and your entire practice—more efficiently. 

At Dental Intelligence, we offer more than just office software. We provide dental practices with a modern, all-in-one solution that combines analytic and engagement tools to intelligently shape the future of your practice. We can help you with everything from dental staff meeting ideas to online scheduling, payments, employee communication, and more. 

Contact our team at Dental Intelligence today to schedule a demo and find out what we have to offer, including tools that will help you implement a hazard communication program in your dental office.

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