Tom Terry Seminars » OSHA Inspections

100 Dentists Interviewed

Tom Terry — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 22:12:09 +0000

During the month of August I interviewed 100 dentists who’s dental office was inspected by OSHA, 23 of the dentists were using the service of an OSHA consultant and 37 were using an OSHA newsletter service, here are the results,

Have you ever taken a seminar from me? 100 responded NO

Have you ever used my services? 100 responded NO

Was your inspection triggered by an employee complaint? 97 responded YES, 3 responded NO

Did you receive fines for violations? 100 responded YES

Did the inspector ask to see your compliance manual? 100 responded YES

Did you receive fines for having an outdated or incomplete compliance manual? 100 responded YES

Did the inspector ask to see your MSDS binder? 100 responded NO

Did the inspector ask about labels? 100 responded NO

Did the inspector ask if you provided bloodborne pathogens standard training to your employees yearly? 100 responded YES

Did you receive a fine for not providing yearly employee training? 72 responded YES, 28 responded NO

Did the inspector ask your employees about the chemical products they use and how they use them? 94 responded YES, 6 responded NO

Do you feel that the information you had received in previous OSHA seminars prepared you for the inspection? 100 responded NO

Do you feel that the information your consultant provided prepared you and your employees for the inspection? The 23 dentists using an OSHA consultant responded NO

Do you feel that the information your OSHA newsletter service provided prepared you and your employees for the inspection? The 37 dentist using an OSHA newsletter service responded NO

Experiencing an OSHA inspection and being fined, what would you had done differently knowing what you know now? 100 responded that they would make sure the information they received is from an expert.

Office Evaluation Service

Tom Terry — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 17:01:03 +0000

Worried about an inspection?

Tom Terry will conduct a full evaluation of your office for OSHA, HIPAA, Consumer Affairs, Dept. of Health Services, Delta Dental, EDD compliance requirements and more. Not only will he tell you what needs to be corrected, he will also tell you how to do it!

This service has saved dentists thousands of dollars in fines, citations and expenses. In addition Tom will provide you with a Compliance Manual System that contains all written plans, policies & procedures that are required by regulations.

The total fee for this service is only $497.00, there are no hidden costs, contracts to sign or any obligations.

Email Tom for additional information: tom@tomterryseminars.com

Note: Office Evaluation Service is available only in Northern California.

Unsafe X-Ray Practices

Tom Terry — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:46:23 +0000

Q: We get children who have problems with keeping the x-ray sensor in their mouth because of gagging or discomfort. A staff member is required to stay in the room with the patient and hold the sensor in place while another staff member presses the button to take the x-ray. The staff has discussed concerns about radiation exposure with the employer, the employer suggest that we wear a radiation apron when in the room while holding the sensor. Is this safe?

A: NO it is not safe and it is a violation of OSHA, Department of Health Services and Consumers Affairs regulations. I would advise your employer to purchase the proper sensor for children, the cost would be cheap compared to the citations, fine and potential lawsuit by employees!

Dental Compliance – Beyond OSHA

Tom Terry — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 15:56:14 +0000

It is amazing how often I am asked “What’s new with OSHA? When the question should be “What’s new with Dental Compliance?”

Why? its simple; Dental Offices are regulated by more than OSHA, depending on the county and city your practice is located in; it can be as many as seven agencies!

However, if you look beyond your OSHA training and gain an understanding of the compliance makeup you will also gain an appreciation that compliance regulation is an essential part of your business operations, both in growing your practice and maintaining your practice, not to mention reducing financial risk. Today compliance has taken on a whole new meaning, it is no longer a back office issue; it is a “total” practice philosophy. Compliance is good – good for the staff, good for the patient and good for the practice. So think “Dental Compliance” and not just OSHA.

Dental Compliance – Five Things You Should Do

Tom Terry — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:38:08 +0000

Five things you should do during inspections,

Ask questions
Take notes and photos
Don’t argue with the inspector
Walk around with the inspector
Ask the inspector for their suggestions

Dental Compliance – Top Three Agencies

Tom Terry — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:28:47 +0000

Q: What governmental agencies are most likely to inspect our office?

A: Although there are about seven agencies that are responsible for regulating dental offices, the top three and most active are,

OSHA
Consumer Affairs (Dental Board)
Department of Health Services

Dental Compliance – Worthless Compliance Manual

Tom Terry — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:38:42 +0000

Q. Recently my office was inspected by OSHA as a result I received several fines; two were regarding my compliance manual. The OSHA inspector said my manual was missing several written plans, was outdated and too general. I had purchased the manual a month ago from the company who picks up my hazardous waste. I contacted the company and told them what the inspector had said, their reply was they did not have manuals specifically for a dental office. Can we purchase the right compliance manual from your company?

A. YES – I only write compliance manuals for dental offices, email me and I will provide you with the details – tom@tomterryseminars .com

Dental Compliance – Failed Inspection

Tom Terry — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 13:42:23 +0000

I am very busy working with new clients who had requested my services because their practice was inspected by OSHA or the Dental Board and the results were not favorable. In the process of bringing these dental offices into compliance I discovered something they all had in common, they all had some type of compliance services or product which they relied on but apparently failed. Here is the list,

Online OSHA training
OSHA training videos
OSHA monthly newsletter service
Attend dental associations seminars & conventions
OSHA training provided by a dental supply representative
OSHA training provided by their waste management company
Compliance Manuals which they download from a dental association
Compliance Manuals provided by their waste management company
Service from compliance service companies who guaranteed to pay any fines

Dental compliance training is a hands-on, show me learning process that should be conducted in your office by an expert.

OSHA – Compliance Coordinator

Tom Terry — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:06:15 +0000

97% of the people who have been put in charge of OSHA compliance for their dental office feel they do not have the knowledge and experience to do the job. Doctors are you expecting any results?

Dental Compliance – Compliance Manual Care

Tom Terry — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 00:50:11 +0000

Your Compliance Manual should contain current, site-specific policies and procedures for establishing and maintaining a safe working environment. In addition, training documents, rosters, and audits/inspections reports should be filed within the manual. Your Compliance Manual should never be a “junk collector” for seminar handouts, advertisements, and unrelated documents, if your manual is a confusing mess don’t except anyone to read it and use it. All employees must be familiar with the policies & procedures of the office therefore they must review the Compliance Manual and postings.

Management must keep policies & procedures current and enforced, during an inspection the inspector will review the Compliance Manual, Posters, and postings to determine if policies & procedures for compliance are established and enforced. The inspector will interview employees, if simple questions get answers like “I think we do”, “I’m not sure”, or “I don’t know”, the inspector will come to a quick conclusion that compliance doesn’t exist; this is not a good thing!