M10.5 Blog about an occupational safety and health organization
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
OSHA
Workers in the dental field have the right to
work in a safe workplace. While the law requires employers to provide their
employees with safe and healthful workplace.
So, dental teams need to follow Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and guidelines because
dental professionals may be at risk for exposure to numerous workplace hazards.
These hazards include, but are not limited to, the spectrum of bloodborne
pathogens, pharmaceuticals and other chemical agents, human factors, ergonomic
hazards, noise, vibration, and workplace violence.
OSHA standards regarding the dentistry industry
are:
1.
Bloodborne
pathogens.
2.
Hazard
communication.
3.
General requirements
(Personal protective equipment).
4.
Eye and face
protection.
5.
Medical
services and first aid.
6.
General requirement
(Walking-working surfaces).
7.
Ionizing
radiation.
8.
Forms.
9.
Maintenance,
safeguards, and operational features for exit routes.
1.
Sanitation.
In order to reduce
or eliminate the hazards of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens, an
employer must implement an exposure control plan for the worksite with details
on employee protection measures. The plan must also describe how an employer
will use engineering and work practice controls, personal protective clothing
and equipment, employee training, medical surveillance, hepatitis B vaccinations,
and other provisions as required by OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard.
Resources
https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/bloodbornepathogens/standards.html
Pneumoconiosis – an occupational related disease
According to American Lung Association, pneumoconiosis is a general term given to any lung disease caused by dusts that are breathed in and then deposited deep in the lungs causing damage. Pneumoconiosis is usually considered an occupational lung disease, and includes asbestosis, silicosis and coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP), also known as "Black Lung Disease."
Pneumoconiosis may be diagnosed by routine workplace surveillance in exposed workers, or it may be diagnosed because symptoms develop in a person previously exposed to mineral dusts. Most treatments for patients with pneumoconiosis are aimed at limiting further damage to the lung, decreasing symptoms and improving quality of life.
The most common symptoms of pneumoconiosis are cough and shortness of breath, and the risk is generally higher when people have been exposed to mineral dusts such as asbestos, silica and coal dust in high concentrations or for long periods of time.
In 2013 CWP resulted in 25,000 deaths down from 29,000 deaths in 1990. Between 1970–1974, prevalence of CWP among US coal miners who had worked over 25 years was 32%; the same group saw a prevalence of 9% in 2005–2006.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. To better protect workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica, OSHA has issued two new respirable crystalline silica standards: one for construction, and the standard for construction on September 23, 2017, and will begin enforcing most provisions of the standard for general industry and maritime on June 23, 2018.
Resources
http://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/pneumoconiosis/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalworker%27s_pneumoconiosis#Epidemiology
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