Your Veterinary Clinic Name OSHA Training

Occupational

Safety and

Health

Administration

Presented by Veterinary OSHA Assistant

Workplace Safety – It’s the Law!

OSHA has developed Standards for safe work places.

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

Regardless of the number of employees they have.

These are Federal regulations.

Many standards apply to the veterinary workplace.

Veterinary Practices and OSHA

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 increase their numbers of veterinary hospital inspections.

OSHA Inspections

On average an OSHA inspector will issue 3 citations.

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

An Employer’s Responsibility Includes …

Setting policies and establishing protocols for the OSHA compliance plan.

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

Setting good examples by following all policies themselves.

An Employer’s Responsibility Includes …

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.

Keeping required records.

An Employer’s Responsibility Includes …

They must design and implement:

– A Hazardous Communication Plan– Employee Safety Training – Infection Control Plan– Hazardous Materials Inventory

They must also maintain a safe work environment.

OSHA Compliance

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.

OSHA requires employers to train employees

in the proper handling and safety of hazardous materials

in prevention of zoonotic or infectious disease transmission

to implement safe practices in all work environments

Employees must learn about:

Hazardous materials in the workplace

Asking questions about any possible hazardous material

How to use information, resources and safety equipment properly

How to prevent the spread of zoonotic and infectious diseases

Specific employee 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.

Your employer must train you on how to read and use the information on container labels and MSDS’s.

They must train you in methods and protocols for routine and non-routine procedures and explain your role in emergencies.

Employer and Employee

Noncompliance with OSHA regulations will cost both time and money.

Thousands of dollars in fines.

Benefits of an OSHA training program

Possible decrease in employee turnover and insurance rates.

Fewer accidents.

Less worries about your compliance with OSHA requirements.

Are Veterinary Practices Safe?

Most veterinary practices are not thought of as an unsafe place to work.

There are many hazardous materials in the average veterinary facility.

There is a risk of exposure to zoonotic diseases.

There is a risk of contact with infectious agents.

Employee Training must include:

Where the written Hazardous Communication Plan and MSDS’s are kept.

Training on safe handling of Hazardous Chemicals found in the veterinary workplace.

Training on Zoonotic and Infectious Disease prevention.

Safe practices in the work place.

The program must be taken seriously by everyone at the facility, and by law is the employer’s responsibility.

Employee training

Let’s look at these sections in more detail:

- Hazardous Communication Plan

- Hazardous Chemicals

- Zoonotic Disease Prevention

- Infection Control

- Safety in the Veterinary Workplace

There will be a short quiz following each section.

OSHA Requirements for the Hazard Communication Plan

The facility must have a Hazardous Communication Plan in writing.

This document describes the practice’s commitment to the employee health and safety plan.

Explains the policies and procedures for identifying and managing hazardous materials.

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

Hazardous Communication Plan …

Names person responsible for training employees.

Names person responsible for keeping the MSDS’s up to date.

Describes the training program for employees.

Describes the method for notifying contractors about hazardous materials.

Explains where MSDS’s are kept and what to do if they were not received with the product from the manufacturer or vendor.

Hazardous Communication Plan …

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

Describes the training procedures at the hospital.

Explains 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.

Hazardous Communication Plan…

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.

This is the first thing an OSHA Inspector would ask for.

Hazardous Communication Plan Quiz

True or False:

1. The Hazardous Communication Plan is an optional document.

2. The Plan should only describe how to handle hazardous materials.

3. The Plan should be kept locked away in a safe place, preferably off site.

Describe where our Hazardous Communication Plan is located.

OSHA requirements for Hazardous Chemicals and the “Right to Know”

MSDS’s (Material Safety Data Sheets), which are supplied by the manufacturer or distributor of all products containing hazardous chemicals, must be maintained on site.

A corresponding Hazardous Chemicals Master List must be kept on site.

The information must be accessible to all staff members.

Secondary containers holding these hazardous materials must be properly labeled with the appropriate warning labels.

OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard,or “Right to Know”

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 the workplace.

You have a Right To Know about hazardous materials in your workplace.

Right to Know Regulations may vary by State

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” Training Program

All employers must provide a “Right to Know” Hazardous Chemicals training program for their staff.

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

Hazardous Chemicals and your Right to Know

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 protect themselves

Hazardous Chemicals and your Right to Know

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.

Hazardous Chemical Safety Training

Must teach safe handling of chemicals or hazardous materials.

These are materials that could harm human health or the environment

Important Employee Information

With the high number of chemicals used at veterinary facilities, you may be at risk for becoming exposed to a hazardous chemical during your daily activities.

Overexposure to chemicals may cause or contribute to:

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

Hazardous materials you may come in contact with on a daily basis

Disinfectants Anesthetic gases Radiation Certain medications

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

Chemical Safety Basics

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 list provided by your employer

Chemical Safety Basics

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 labels naming the contents and any hazard warnings, unless they are used by one person for a single shift. Hazard information is located on the MSDS sheets.

(Secondary containers include cold sterile pans, stain jars for ear

swabs/blood smears, spray bottles of dilute Nolvasan, etc.)

Material Safety Data Sheets

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS’s) contain the safety information known by the manufacturer

MSDS’s 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.

MSDS Regulations

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

You have to know where the MSDS’s are kept and how to interpret the information on them.

There is a section in your Hazardous Chemical Manual that defines MSDS Terms.

Specific hazardous materials you may encounter in a veterinary facility

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 and know how to use it.

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

More good advice …

Be sure to wash your hands before eating or smoking.

Wash your hands before and after using the restroom.

Wash your hands before handling contact lenses.

Before using pesticides

Read the label and follow all directions.

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

Don’t 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, as they can explode.

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

Anesthetic gases safety

Anesthetic gas can irritate skin, eyes, nose and lungs.

Make sure to use a good ventilation system.

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

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

Anesthetic gas safety

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.

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

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 MSDS’s to know what products can be mixed together.

Cleaning Chemicals

Always add concentrates to water, not the other way around.

Never mix products containing ammonia with those containing chlorine, as a deadly gas will be formed.

REMEMBER …

When you are working with hazardous materials, 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.

Hazardous Materials Training Quiz

True or False:

1. People working in veterinary facilities are rarely exposed to hazardous chemicals.

2. MSDS sheets should be available to all employees at all times.

3. If I don’t understand terms on an MSDS sheet I can find an

explanation in our Hazardous Chemical Manual.

Describe where our MSDS’s are kept. Describe where our Hazardous Chemical Manual is kept.

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, MSDS’s and ask questions if you are unfamiliar with a situation

Safety is also your responsibility!

Remember, you must keep yourself safe when on the job!