Tom Terry Seminars » OSHA

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Did you receive fines for having an outdated or incomplete compliance manual? 100 responded YES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

How much will “I Think So” cost you?

Tom Terry — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 18:53:08 +0000

One thing for sure the world has changed for the dental profession as to the enforcement of regulations. You are either brain-dead or a member of Congress (same thing) to think that your dental office won’t be inspected. Problem is my experience working with dental offices tells me that 9 out of 10 will fail inspections. A common issue among dentists is that they assume their office is ok and their employees know what to do when it comes to compliance. When I ask dentists if their office would pass an inspection the number one response is “I think so”. When I ask employees are they compliant with regulations the number one response is “I think so”.

“I think so” doesn’t do squat for patients and employees safety, it doesn’t make an office HIPAA compliant, it doesn’t make your office OSHA compliant, it doesn’t prevent cross contamination, it doesn’t protect your business assets, in fact “I think so” is just a worthless brain fart just like a politician’s campaign promise. So how much will “I think so” cost you?

Henry Schein Dental

Tom Terry — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:05:42 +0000

I had the privilege of presenting a seminar to the clients of Henry Schein Dental, topic “Dental Practice Act”. The seminar was held at their new facility located at 3900 Atherton Rd, Suite 100, Rocklin, CA. Great turn out and support, the Henry Schein team was fantastic!

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!

OSHA Training is Not!

Tom Terry — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 15:09:12 +0000

If you received “OSHA” training, you only received five percent of the needed information to be compliant and reduce risk to yourself and patients. OSHA training is not,

The Dental Practice Act
Sterilization
Patient Safety
Dental Board Infection Control
HIPAA
Radiation Safety
Environmental Heath Management
Human Recourses

Dental Professionals must look beyond the “OSHA mentality” and take responsibility to find out what they need in order to be competent in their duties. They also need to change their mindset from doing only the minimum to adding value in everything they do.

Employee Safety – Read Labels First!

Tom Terry — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 13:10:46 +0000

Before using chemical products or any product for that matter, first read the label. If you do not understand the instructions ask management before using the product. Take the time and steps necessary to be safe!

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 – Dental Board of California

Tom Terry — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:44:08 +0000

The mindset for dentistry is on OSHA where it should be on the Dental Board of California which is under Consumer Affairs. I am amazed to find dental offices focused on issues like labeling and MSDS binders more than sterilization and infection control. It is clear that the dental professional needs to become more aware as to what they must know and do regarding patient safety. Patient safety is paramount and it must be delivered consistently but only can be achieved when everyone is on the right page armed with the right knowledge. The Table of Permitted Duties and the Dental Board Infection Control Regulations is a good place to start! Visit the Dental Board’s websites: www.dbc.ca.gov