While part of your assessment will include noticing if flooring and air quality is safe, the most common risks to regularly assess concern your staff’s posture and what they do on their breaks.
Find out what might be putting your dental practice most at risk.
Mind Your Posture
Maintaining good posture while treating patients is one way to avoid a workplace injury. Poor posture can lead to neck, back, and shoulder pain, which can become debilitating over time.
The main reason dentists invest in disability insurance is that they are at risk of becoming incapacitated by repetitive motion injuries such as carpel tunnel and arthritis.
Although not completely debilitating, these injuries may hinder you performing some functions of your job, which is why you may need residual disability coverage.
Take Breaks
You won’t always be able to avoid bending and stooping while treating your clients. If you must hold your body in positions that are uncomfortable, take breaks.
You can switch with a hygienist or give your client a chance to relax their mouth while you stretch your back and neck.
Exercise Regularly
Since you use your body to perform your job, you should stretch throughout the day to keep in good shape. Use stretches to relive stiffness and find ones you can do in the office. Further, you should stay fit outside the office to avoid weak muscles.
Dispose of Sharps
Bloodborne pathogens are a high concern in any medical office. A syringe puncture is one of the most common workplace injuries in dental offices. You should equip your staff with proper PPE and instruct them to place needles in sharps containers after they are used.
Train Your Staff
To ensure that staff avoids these injuries, train your employees when you hire them and offer additional trainings to ensure that best practices are being followed. It is the job of your staff to eliminate radiation exposure and keep your office clean and clear of hazards.
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Staff should be familiar with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines. Keep your staff updated with guideline changes.
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Pro Tip: Hold weekly or daily meetings with your staff to ensure that everyone is on the same page about policies and procedures—including safety!
The best ways dentists can avoid workplace injuries include disposing of sharps, maintaining good posture, and taking breaks to stretch throughout the day. Further, you should make sure your staff is well-informed about the safety policies you want them to follow.
Knowledge and communication are the pillars of a well-run dental practice.
Image Credit: best ways dentists can avoid workplace injuries by envato.com
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