OSHA Regulations

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

OSHA

• Has developed standards for safe work places

• Many standards apply to the veterinary workplace

• All employers are required to comply with the OSHA Standards for Workplace Safety

• regardless of the number of employees they have

• Federal regulations

• All employers must provide a “Right to Know” hazardous materials training program to their staff

• It teaches employers how to avoid accidents, injuries and fines while their employees are working with hazardous materials in the work place

• Most veterinary practices are not though of as an unsafe place to work

• There are many hazardous materials in the workplace

Employer Responsibilities

• Must design and implement:

– A hazardous communication plan– Employee safety training – Hazardous materials inventory

• Safe handling of chemicals or hazardous materials which are materials that could harm human health or the environment

Right to Know Regulations

• Differs from hazardous waste disposal regulations because:

– It addresses the management of hazardous materials before disposal

– It is designed to make sure the employees know which materials in the workplace are hazardous and how to protest themselves

Right to Know Regulations

• Some states have additional “Right to Know” regulations.

• They must also be complied with

• For example, NYS radiation( x-ray) exposure regulations

Right to Know Regulations

• As a member of the veterinary healthcare team, you know that safety is an important part of everyone’s job

• There are many hazardous materials in any veterinary practice

“Right to Know” Employers Responsibilities Include:

• Setting policies and establishing protocols for the plan

• Assigning responsibilities for areas of the plan to specific people and supporting them in it

• Setting examples by following all policies themselves

“Right to Know” Employers Responsibilities Include:

• Involving all employees in the hospital’s overall health and safety plan

• Employers must demonstrate a strong commitment to safety and health that must be visible to all employees

Employees must learn about:

• Hazardous materials in the workplace

• How to use information, resources and safety equipment properly

• Keep required records

• Ask questions about any possible hazardous material

• Veterinary medicine is considered by OSHA to be a lower hazard industry

• There is a great diversity of potential hazards in a veterinary hospital

• OSHA has continued to increased their numbers of veterinary hospital inspections

Employer and Employee

• Noncompliance with OSHA regulations will cost both time and money

• Thousands of dollars in fines

• On average an OSHA inspector will issue 3 citations

• They will also give you very little time to comply and bring your entire program up to compliance with the OSHA standards

• OSHA requires employers to make sure all employees are familiar with and know how to handle hazardous materials in their workplace

OSHA requires employers to have:

• 1) a written hazard communication plan which describes how the practice will comply with the law and who has what responsibilities

• 2) must maintain an updated inventory of hazardous materials on site

OSHA requires employers to have:

• 3) MSDSs (material safety data sheets), which are supplied by the manufacturer or distributor, must be maintained for all hazardous materials on site

• 4) All containers holding these hazardous materials must be properly labeled and have the appropriate warning labels

OSHA requires employers to have:

• 5) all employees must be trained in the proper handling and safety of hazardous materials

• Looking at the 5 sections in more detail, they need to include the following information

• Describes the practices commitment to the employee health and safety plan

• Explains the policies and procedure for identifying and managing hazardous materials

• Names specific individuals in the practice who are responsible for the plan

• Names person responsible for training employees

• Names person responsible for keeping the MSDSs up to date

• Describes the training program for employees

• Describes the method for notifying contractors about hazardous materials

• Explains where MSDSs are kept and what to do if they were not received with the product from the manufacturer or vendor

• Describes the labeling system and proper handling when a hazardous material is transferred from it’s larger primary container to a smaller secondary container

Container labels

Secondary Containers with labels

• Describes the training procedures at the hospital including the employee’s legal rights as well as a list of hazards as well as how to protect against these hazards

• Explain the protocols for training current and new employees in the use of new chemicals

• Must keep the plan where it is accessible to all employees

• It is important and required that all employees know where it is and how to use it

• The written plan must be updated any time there is a change in personnel, processes, or materials

• There can be no discrepancies between your written plan and your actual operating procedures

• When employees are trained discuss specific procedures used to provide protection such as following a specific protocol when handling chemotheraputic drugs, or what type of personal protective equipment to use for specific procedures. Also explain to the employee how they will know if they have been overexposed to a hazardous chemical

• The employee training must include where the written hazardous communication plan, MSDSs are kept and what to do in emergencies

• The program must be taken seriously by everyone at the hospital and as the employer, by law, it is your responsibility

• It may seem like a lot of documentation in writing, but it must be kept. That is how OSHA checks for compliance

• The benefits of OSHA compliance belong to the practice owner and the employee

Benefits of the “Right to Know” program

• Tighter inventory control

• Fewer accidents

• Possible decrease in employee turnover and insurance rates

• The practice can take some time and make sure the “Right to Know” requirements are met or risk the penalties of noncompliance

Employee Information

• With the high numbers of chemicals in use in the workplace, you may be at high risk for becoming exposed to a hazardous chemical in the workplace

Overexposure to chemicals may cause or contribute to:

• Heart ailments• Kidney and lung damage• Sterility• Cancer• Burns• Rashes• Fires and explosions• Other serious accidents

• The hazard communication standard is intended to insure that employees and employers know about workplace hazards and know how to protect themselves from hazardous materials in your workplace

• You have a right to know about hazardous materials in your workplace

Other specific rights

• You can not be fired or discriminated against for asking for information and training about hazards

• The employer must provide you with personal protective equipment at no cost and must train you in its use

• They must train you on how to read and use the information on container labels and MSDSs

Other specific rights

• Must train you in methods and protocols for routine and non-routine procedures and explain your role in emergencies

Employee responsibilities

• Need to remember about hazards you may face on the job and how to protect yourself

• You must wear and use personal protective equipment as you were trained

• You must read labels, MSDSs and ask questions if you are unfamiliar with a situation

Other specific rights

• Remember you must keep yourself safe when on the job

Hazardous materials you come in contact with on a daily basis

• Disinfectants

• Anesthetic gases

• Radiation

• You need to be able to recognize hazardous materials

Definition of hazardous materials

• Can cause injury or death and may damage or pollute the environment

Definition of toxic material

• Can irritate skin, eyes, or lungs, and may cause illness or death

Definition of infectious materials

• Can transmit germs or cause disease

Definition of reactive materials

• Can burn or explode when mixed with other materials such as air, heat or water

Definition of ignitable materials

• Can ignite or burn easily

• Before you decide to open an sniff an unlabeled container, look for the product label or MSDS for that particular product

• Identifying and learning about the material is the first step in protecting yourself

• Look at the hazardous materials inventory put together by your employer

• Also check the container’s warning label

• Manufacturers must label all containers with the chemical name, hazard warnings, ingredients, and special handling instructions

• All secondary containers should have similar labels with the same information.

• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) contain the safety information known by the manufacturer

• MSDSs are divided into sections

MDSD sheet sections deal with

• Health hazard data which describes the potential health problems

• List protective equipment and procedures for safe handling

• Explain storage, cleaning, and disposal methods

• Identify the chemical and its manufacturer

MDSD sheet sections deal with

• Tell what the active ingredients are• Describe the physical characteristics of

the product like odor or evaporation rate• Describes limits and conditions of

exposure to the material• Tell if fires or explosions are of concern

and what type of fire extinguisher to use or if it is reactive or explosive when exposed to air, water or heat

• By law, your employer is required to have an MSDS sheet for all hazardous materials in use at your hospital

• You have to know where the MSDSs are kept and how to interpret the information on them

Specific hazardous material you may encounter in an animal

hospital• Pesticides

• Radiation

• drugs

• Cleaning and x-ray chemicals

• Sterilization and surgical gases

• Infectious material

Most often the advice is the same

• Wear gloves and aprons to keep materials off your skin

• Wear goggles when there is a danger of liquids splashing into your eyes

• Make sure you have access to an eyewash station

• Make sure you have good ventilation so you are not breathing in these materials

Most often the advice is the same

• Be sure to wash your hands before eating, smoking or using the restroom.

Before using pesticides

• read the label and follow all directions

• Wear protective gloves, apron, eyewear and sometimes rubber boots

• Don’ continue to work in cloths that are soaked with pesticides

• Use only in a well ventilated area

Symptoms of overexposure to pesticides

• Eye and throat irritation

• Headaches

• Nausea

• Increased sweating and salivating

Compressed anesthetic and sterilization gases

• Compressed gases come in cylinders or aerosol containers

• They can cause serious injuries, fires or explosions if not handled properly

• To minimize risk of accident secure cylinders to the wall and use a hand truck when transporting them

Safety precautions for compressed gases

• Never roll, drop or bang when transporting

• Do not store near heat, water, or sunlight they can explode

• If ethylene oxide is used for sterilization, great caution is required

Ethylene oxide will

• Irritate lungs

• Cause chemical burns to skin

• Burn easily

• Ethylene oxide is considered a potential carcinogen which makes safety and precautionary measures a must

Ethylene oxide

• Hospitals should have a set sterilization routine if using ethylene oxide and those procedures need to be followed carefully

When working with ethylene oxide

• Avoid all contact with skin, eyes, lungs, and clothing

• Thoroughly wash hands after any procedure using this agent

• Work in a well ventilated area

• If any ethylene oxide is leaked, evacuate all personel from he area and notify the veterinarian

Anesthetic gases can

• Irritate skin, eyes, nose and lungs

• Make sure to use a good ventilation system

• If you don’t smell the gas, doesn’t mean you aren’t being exposed

• They are potent respiratory depressants and can impair your bodies cardiac performance

Anesthetic gases can

• Make sure to follow the anesthesia machines manufacturer’s instructions for using the anesthesia machine and also the gas scavenging system

• Notify the veterinarian if you feel poorly after using the equipment. It may indicate that it is not working properly

Radiologic procedures

• Some of the most hazardous exposures

• The risk is greater if you have to hold a patient for the radiograph

• Follow safety guidelines when taking radiographs to lessen your exposure time to hazardous ionizing radiation. It is invisible and painless and can not be detected at the time of exposure

Radiologic procedures

• Position yourself as far away from the primary beam as possible

• Wear appropriate personal protective equipment including a lead: apron, gloves, thyroid shield

• Must follow the nuclear regulatory commissions requirement to wear a radiation badge

Radiologic procedures

• Make sure you are using the badge correctly

• Hang up and store the clothing properly. Do not fold since it will break the lead shielding

• NYS mandates that no one be in the room holding for x-rays unless it is an extreme emergency

Exposure to developers and fixers for processing x-ray film

• Processing chemicals can contain materials which are:– Corrosive– Toxic– Reactive – Flammable

Exposure to developers and fixers for processing x-ray film

• They can irritate your eyes and skin

• Wash off immediately if splashed

• Mix chemicals in proper order

• Consult the MSDS

• Never use a drain cleaner in a drain where photo chemicals are used. It can cause an explosion

Chemotheraputic agents

• Highly toxic

• Pay close attention to detail when handling

• Can cause headaches

• Fetal deficiencies

• Adhere to the manufacturers directions for preparation of these agents

• Use common sense

Chemotheraputic agents

• Discuss with your physician before handling if you are pregnant

• Don’t eat or drink in the area where they are stored

• Be sure to wear latex, not poly vinyl gloves when preparing or administering drugs and when cleaning out cages of animals who have received them

Chemotheraputic agents

• Double glove with surgical, non-powdered latex gloves as well as using eye protection

• Never wear contact lenses when working with these agents

• Consult with your employer about respiratory protection procedures at your hospital

Chemotheraputic agents

• If supplied in ampules, wrap in gauze bfroe you open them to prevent contact

• Vent vials to prevent aerosaling the agent

• Keep gauze wrapped around the vial when drawing it up in a syringe and administering to the patient

Disposal of chemotheraputic supplies in

• Sealed

• Leak proof

• Puncture proof

• Containers labeled as hazardous waste

• Follow hospital protocol for destroying these agents

Cleaning chemicals

• Some of the most common chemicals used in the hospital

• Can be irritating to your eyes and skin

• Also may cause respiratory distress and illness

• Be sure to wear gloves and an apron and goggles if there is a chance it might spill

Cleaning chemicals

• You can also be exposed by breathing in the fumes, especially bleaches and alcohol

• Don’t use in a closed area. Have good ventilation

• When mixing, check labels and MSDSs to know what products can be mixed together

Cleaning chemicals

• Always add concentrates to water

• Never mix products containing ammonia with those containing chlorine or a deadly gas will be formed

Disease hazards

• Exposure from other animals or people

• Zoonoses are diseases that are communicable from animals to people under natural conditions

• There are a multitude of zoonotic diseases

REMEMBER

• When you are working with hazardous material you are the one who has to keep yourself safe and protected on the job

• Follow the guidelines set by OSHA and your employer

• Wash your hands and use proper personal protective equipment