Management of Hazardous Materials in a Dental Office Assignment

Management of Hazardous Materials in a Dental Office - Assignment Example Employers should provide for their employees in a dental office the necessary equipment to protect them from bloodborne pathogens. Such devices include syringes whose needle is shielded with a sheath after use and needles that can be drawn back into a syringe immediately after use to avoid pricking or exposure of extracted blood. Taps with constant running water should also be availed for use in cleaning eyes in case of exposure. Gloves are also a necessity as it is hazardous to handle blood with bare hands. An employee should also get a means to flush any secretions, saliva or mucous membranes in the case of exposure. Safe disposal of sharp objects is vital in preventing exposure to bloodborne pathogens among dental care workers. This safe disposal involves the use of sharp containers which are puncture-resistant. Such should be labeled correctly and placed out of reach of children and other patients. They should also be waterproof to prevent the flow of infected blood from them. The sharp containers should have an opening wide enough to allow easy placement of disposable sharp objects and should never be over-filled. Once full, it should be safely sealed and disposed of. MSDS is a document outline the safety and emergency procedure for workers in terms of handling a substance, its physical data, and storage requirements, how to dispose of it and how to act in case it spills. Such information safeguards workers against poor handling of hazardous substances and identifies the dangers of contact and contamination. MSDS can vary by country and supplier. A color code, combined with a 0 to 4 number rating, was developed to assist in compliance with OSHA communication standards in terms of identifying hazards.