Instrument Processing – Sterilization
To date, we have focused on the cleaning process and the importance of ensuring instruments are adequately cleaned and appropriately wrapped or packaged. April’s article ended with loading the sterilizer appropriately. This month we will discuss the actual instrument sterilization process. The Sterilization Process Sterilization can be defined as the process of making an object […]
It’s Your Call June 2019
OSHA: Our office has switched disinfectant wipes. Do we need to retrain? 1910.1200(h)(1) Employers shall provide employees with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment, and whenever a new chemical hazard the employees have not previously been trained about is introduced into their work […]
New HIPAA Fact Sheet for Business Associates
On May 24, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a new fact sheet for Business Associates explaining their liability for HIPAA compliance. OCR is the government enforcement agency for HIPAA compliance. They have the authority to take enforcement action against business associates for failing to comply with requirements and prohibitions. Since the implementation […]
Measles Cases on the Rise in U.S.
In case you haven’t heard, we have a record number of measles cases documented in the US. At this point over 700 cases in 22 states have been reported, which is the highest number of cases since 2000, the year the disease was reported eliminated. Healthcare workers are considered at risk for exposure. Have you […]
Will the GDPR Affect Your Practice?
What is the GDPR? GDPR or General Data Protection Regulations is a set of laws passed by the European Union (EU) in May 2018, to provide rules for protecting electronic data on individuals in the European Union. These regulations include similar security restrictions for Europe as HIPAA does for the USA. One of the biggest differences […]
What Materials Need a Safety Data Sheet?
All employers are required to have a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) available in the workplace where it can be accessed easily by an employee for any hazardous chemical employees can potentially be exposed to, due to a spill, leak or other accident. A hazardous chemical is defined as any chemical which is classified as a […]
It’s Your Call May 2019
OSHA: Warmer weather is here, and administrative employees often inquire about the rules for wearing open-toed shoes. What is OSHA’s view? In general, there is no OSHA policy about wearing open-toed shoes in an office environment. However, OSHA Rule 1910.136(a) states: The employer shall ensure that each affected employee uses protective footwear when working in […]
Measles: Should Healthcare Workers Be Concerned?
Until recent years the risk of being exposed to measles was not the first illnesses to come to mind when considering the risk of disease transmission from patients to healthcare workers. Even now there are reported outbreaks in many states of both measles and mumps. One can no longer be confident that during the delivery […]
April News Roundup
It’s a busy world out there and it can be tough to keep up on all the news. Here are three compliance-related news stories to keep you “in the know.” Alexa is getting a HIPAA upgrade Alexa the voice-controlled digital assistant from Amazon, is commonly used for home automation, entertainment streaming, and various administrative functions, […]
It’s Your Call April 2019
OSHA: What documentation is required for OSHA training, and how long should the records be kept? Documentation should be kept for 3 years. It should contain a record of training dates, the contents or a summary of the training sessions, the names and job titles of all persons attending the training, and the names and […]