WISHA & OSHA Compliance
The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) is responsible for administering the requirements under WISHA for dentists.
All dentists must comply with WISHA/DOSH standards. These standards can be found here: Chapters 296-24 and 296-62 of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC). There are also administrative rules covering record keeping, posting of certain documents, and other paperwork requirements that must be followed by all employers (Chapters 296-27 and 296-900 WAC).
To become compliant a dentist can request that a safety and health consultant from L&I come to your office and analyze your employee safety and accident prevention programs at no cost. The dentist will be offered suggestions to become compliant.
A consultation from L&I involves:
- An opening conference with management to explain the denitst's rights and obligations.
- A walk-through survey to evaluate the hazards of the workplace and work practices, and an evaluation of your office's accident prevention program.
- A closing conference with management to discuss any conditions noted during the survey and to make recommendations.
- A written report describing any conditions found and any recommendations or agreements made.
- A follow-up visit, if appropriate, to assure that any necessary corrections have been made.
Click the following link to find a consultant in your area: http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Basics/Assistance/Consultation/consultants.asp
A private company, Harris Biomedical, also offers complience services.
Keywords: WISHA, OSHA, HIPAA