Question

What are the major areas included in the OSHA compliance guidelines? What is exposure control plan?

Answer 1

The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) was passed in 1970, which is aimed at ensuring safety at the workplace.

All the employees in a veterinary office must receive OSHA training. If not, they must be provided with a copy of the regulatory text with an explanation of the OASH standards. The major areas included in the OSHA compliance guidelines are,

• Personal protective equipment (PPE) or barrier protection devices
• Environment protection
• Vaccination to prevent the hepatitis B infection
• Housekeeping controls
• Follow-up after exposure

The site-based Exposure Control Plan must be revised every year and should be available for all employees for review. It must include all possible current safety technology, the list of at-risk exposure employees, and specificities about protection from blood-borne infectious agents, personal protective equipment (PPE), and prevention of hepatitis B by immunization, necessary training guidelines, follow-up, record keeping and the procedure for disposal of biohazard wastes, including their labelling.