Employers Must Post OSHA Illness/Injury Summaries Beginning Feb. 1, 2008

SafetyDRs would like to reminded employers that beginning Feb. 1, they must post a summary of the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred during 2007. Employers are only required to post OSHA Form 300A (summary), not the OSHA 300 log.

The summary must be posted from Feb. 1 to April 30, 2008. The summary must list the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2007 and were logged on the OSHA 300 form. Information about the annual average number of employees and total hours worked during the calendar year is also required to assist in calculating incidence rates. Companies with no recordable injuries or illnesses in 2007 must post the form with zeroes on the total line. All summaries must be certified by a company executive.

The form is to be displayed in a common area wherever notices to employees are usually posted. Employers with ten or fewer employees and employers in certain industry groups are normally exempt from federal OSHA injury and illness recordkeeping and posting requirements.

Copies of the OSHA Forms 300 and 300A are available on the OSHA Recordkeeping Web page in either Adobe PDF or Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet format.

New Respirator Fit-Testing Protocol

OSHA recently published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for a new respirator fit-testing protocol—the Abbreviated Bitrex® Qualitative Fit-Testing (ABQLFT) protocol. The proposed rule would add the ABQLFT protocol as an alternative to the current OSHA-approved qualitative fit-test procedures. The ABQLFT protocol for the seven exercises listed in the existing OSHA-approved Bitrex fit-test procedure in the Respiratory Protection standard would shorten the duration of each of the seven fit-test exercises from one minute to 15 seconds. Comments are being accepted until Feb. 25, 2008.

Do you have N95 respirators for your staff? N95 respirators should be used for contact with known or suspected patients with certain airborne infectious disesases (e.g. Tuberculosis, SARS, Pandemic Influenza). SafetyDRs can come to your office and fit-test applicable staff. It only takes about 10 minutes per employee and the required written OSHA Respiratory Protection Plan is included. Access to low cost N95 respirators are also available. Please contact safetyDRs at: (888) 669 - 8846, 701

Norovirus spreads via keyboard and mouse

The CDC reports an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis in an elementary school associated with contaminated computer keyboards. Norovirus causes the majority of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks in the United States. Person-to-person spread through the fecal-oral route, contaminated food and water, and aerosolized vomitus are known to transmit norovirus; contact with contaminated environmental surfaces also has been implicated in transmission.

Laboratory studies have demonstrated that fingers contaminated with norovirus can transfer the virus to environmental surfaces, which can subsequently contaminate clean fingers with detectable amounts of norovirus. Because of shared computer use in health-care facilities, schools, and workplaces, certain researchers have suggested that computer equipment might be a route of bacterial disease transmission.

Proper washing with soap and water can eliminate norovirus from hands; alcohol-based sanitizers may also be effective. Potentially (but nonvisibly) soiled surfaces are best disinfected with a solution of 1:50 to 1:10 concentration of household bleach in water (1,000--5,000 ppm chlorine) by vigorous wiping for >10 seconds. Disposable towels used to clean visibly soiled surfaces should be discarded appropriately after use because they can transfer norovirus to fingers and other surfaces

Care should be taken when cleaning computer equipment. Washable keyboards and mice are available.

Ref. MMWR, January 4, 2008 / 56(51);1340-1343

New Year Safety Resolutions!

Let 2008 be the year that you and your staff work towards a positive safety culture. OSHA has acknowledged that those facilities that have a total safety culture have less employee injuries and increased work productivity. Here are some tips to consider:

- Ensure that you accomplish required education and training (i.e. annual bloodborne pathogens training).

- Conduct a survey to identify where you are using sharps in your office. Identify potential sharps safety devices (engineering controls) and have your staff evaluate them and implement as applicable.

- Get everyone involved. Share the responsibility to check eyewash stations, fire extinguishers, maintain material safety data sheets, labelling secondary chemical containers, etc.

Let safetyDRs (formally Dynamic Dental Safety) help you with all your office safety compliance and training. We provide a comprehensive and cost-effective solution of becoming your partner in maintaining safety and risk management in your facility. The program includes all required manuals, on-site safety surveys and assistance with ensuring your facility is in complete regulatory compliance and on-site training for your staff including continuing education credit and 24/7 telephone support. Contact safetyDRs at: (888) 669-8846 x703 or visit us at safetyDRs.com.