OSHA Part 2

Part 2 of this GHS discussion involves the current changes from Hazcom and how it affects the dental offices on a day by day basis.  First, we need to replace all of our MSDS forms with the new GHS SDS forms safety data sheets.  As I mentioned in Part 1, there are pictograms involved with the new SDS forms that have to be supplied to us by the manufacturers.  Interestingly enough, the compliance portion of the new regulations went into effect in 2014, and yet the Government in all of its wisdom mandated that the manufacturers do not have to supply us with the new SDS forms with appropriate pictograms until the end of 2015.  Therefore, in the meantime we continue to illegally use our old MSDS forms and have been in non-compliance until the final date given by the Government of June 1, 2016 for the manufacturers to comply.  I am sure you can imagine that due to cost considerations the manufacturers will not be supplying us with any SDS lists until the last minute which has been our experience thus far.  Hopefully, by the middle of next year we will have the new SDS pictograms and we can switch over to the SDS forms along with all the labeling that goes throughout the office where any of the hazardous chemicals are kept.  Now you are probably thinking that this is not a particularly big deal but to put it into perspective.  We have at this time over 300 MSDS forms in our binder that is a whole heck of a lot of labels that we have to print out and post in the proper area.  In the meantime, our current labels will remain and I suppose as long as you can speak and read English and live in the United States it is not a real big problem except the fact that you are at risk of not being informed and we are violating the OSHA regulations.  If all of this seems a little scary you do have to understand that our MSDS forms include things like our hand soap, Lysol spray, rubbing alcohol and a variety of other household chemicals that we use in the dental practice.  It is interesting to me that we have to label household materials in our office and you don't at home but that perhaps points out the relationship of Big Government and small business in America.  We are hoping for the best and maybe by the time you come in for your next appointment you will be able to see our nifty little pictograms on the walls.  See you at our next blog.