OSHA’s Safety Notice for the Dental Industry Practitioners During COVID-19
A recent news release from OSHA gives tips for workers in the dental industry to protect themselves from coronavirus exposure.
On May 11, 2020, OSHA released guidance for dental industry workers to protect themselves from exposure to the coronavirus. Measures that can help protect dental practitioners include:
- Encourage workers to stay home if sick;
- Maximize use of telemedicine for non-emergency consultations, and prioritize urgent and emergency procedures;
- Install physical barriers or partitions between patient treatment areas;
- Provide adequate ventilation and airflow in patient treatment areas so that air moves away from staff work areas;
- Frequently clean and disinfect surfaces and equipment with hospital-grade, Environmental Protection Agency-approved cleaning chemicals from List N or that have label claims against the coronavirus;
- Minimize the number of staff present when aerosol-generating procedures are performed and ensure staff who are present are appropriately protected;
- Provide appropriate personal protective equipment, such as eye goggles, face shields and N95 respirators, as necessary to protect dental practitioners and support personnel; and
- Encourage workers to report any safety and health concerns.
The new alert is available for download in English and Spanish. Visit this link for more detailed guidance for dental industry workers.