OSHA offers safety alert for dental offices

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued an alert listing safety tips employers can follow to help protect dental industry workers from exposure to the coronavirus.

Measures that can help protect dental practitioners include encouraging workers to stay home if sick; maximizing use of telemedicine for nonemergency consultations and prioritize urgent and emergency procedures; installing physical barriers or partitions between patient treatment areas; providing adequate ventilation and airflow in patient treatment areas so that air moves away from staff work areas; and frequent cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and equipment with hospital-grade, Environmental Protection Agency-approved cleaning chemicals.

Dental practitioners also are urged to minimize the number of staff present when aerosol-generating procedures are performed and ensure staff who are present are appropriately protected; provide appropriate personal protective equipment, such as eye goggles, face shields and N95 respirators, as necessary to protect dental practitioners and support personnel; and encourage workers to report any safety and health concerns.

The new alert is available for download in English and Spanish. More detailed guidance for dental industry workers is available at https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/dentistry.html

The alert is the latest effort by OSHA to educate and protect America’s workers and employers during the coronavirus pandemic. OSHA also has published Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19, a document aimed at helping workers and employers learn about ways to protect themselves and their workplaces during the ongoing pandemic.

Visit OSHA’s coronavirus webpage frequently for updates. For further information about the coronavirus, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces. OSHA’s role is to help ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and providing training, education and assistance.

For more information, visit www.osha.gov.