OR-OSHA is Fining Healthcare Clinics
Kelli Ngariki • January 13, 2023
OR-OSHA is Fining Healthcare Facilities for not following their own COVID Infection Control Plan
The Oregon OSHA COVID-19 rules, updated in September of 2022, continue the requirement that healthcare facilities (called exceptional risk in the rule) have a COVID-19 Exposure Risk Assessment and Infection Control Plan. These should have been created with staff input in 2020 and updated as OSHA rules, or other factors, changed.
Now that OR-OSHA inspectors are out conducting inspections again, they are looking at your COVID-19 Risk Assessment and Infection Control Plan. If your staff are not following your documented COVID-19 Infection Control Plan, you will be cited.
An example of this would be, back in 2020 all healthcare employers were required to ensure everyone entering the facility be screened for COVID-19 symptoms. You would have included screening in your plan at that time. The screening rule is no longer required and many clinics are no longer screening patients. If an OR-OSHA inspector comes on site and sees that your Infection Control Plan still says you are screening patients and guests, but you are not, you will be cited and fined.
OR-OSHA Required COVID-19 Documentation:
Here are documents you must have readily available for all staff (and the OSHA Inspector:
- Updated Oregon OSHA COVID-19 Rules
- COVID-19 Risk Assessment
- COVID-19 Infection Control Plan
- COVID-19 PPE Supply and Crisis Management Plan
If a needlestick happened today, would your team know exactly what to do next—or lose critical time figuring it out?
Small compliance mistakes can lead to big consequences. Learn what to watch for and how to protect your practice.
The largest healthcare fraud investigation in U.S. history offers valuable compliance lessons for small medical and dental practices. Here's what every practice owner and office manager should know.
If OSHA walked into your dental or healthcare office tomorrow, would your team know what to do?
HIPAA, IT, and Cybersecurity: What Healthcare Teams Need to Know
HIPAA Compliance for Healthcare Practices starts with identifying hidden gaps. Learn the 3 hidden compliance gaps commonly found and how to address them.
Small dental and healthcare clinics have enough on their plate without worrying about OSHA citations. Beyond avoiding fines, workplace safety is essential for protecting your team and fostering a culture of care, responsibility, and professionalism. Whether you’re new to managing compliance or just need a refresher, here are five key OSHA must-haves for 2025: 1. Bloodborne Pathogens & Sharps Safety Train annually (yes, every year!) on how to handle exposure risks Keep a current Exposure Control Plan Offer the hepatitis B vaccine series and document refusals Ensure every employee with face-to-face patient contact has a documented TB test, as required for healthcare settings 2. Hazard Communication Make sure your team knows where SDS sheets are stored and how to read them Label secondary containers clearly Train new staff on chemical hazards—before their first exposure 3. PPE Use and Fit Gloves, eye protection, masks, gowns: who wears what, and when? Train staff on how to properly don and doff PPE Conduct hazard assessments to justify PPE use 4. Emergency Action Plans Fire evacuation, exit routes, and emergency contacts should be posted and known Conduct brief Emergency Action Plan refreshers annually (many offices forget this!) 5. OSHA Documentation & Inspection Prep Keep training logs, incident reports, and written plans accessible Know what to do if an inspector shows up—who talks to them, what documents to provide Bonus: Don’t Let OSHA Be a Surprise Most OSHA citations in small clinics are for things like: Failure to document regular safety meetings Missing training records No exposure control plan Blocked exits Failing to flush eye wash stations Why OSHA Compliance Matters More Than Ever in 2025 OSHA doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With a little preparation and the right tools, you can create a safe, compliant workplace and avoid costly mistakes. Want help with your OSHA binder, policies, or staff training? Reach out—we make compliance doable for busy healthcare teams. This post was drafted with assistance from AI and reviewed by a compliance professional to ensure accuracy and relevance for healthcare practices.
Learn what patching vulnerabilities means for dental and small healthcare practices, who owns it, how often to patch, and what OCR expects after ransomware.
Many tech companies and vendors don't realize HIPAA applies to them. Learn if you're a Business Associate and what training your workforce needs to avoid fines.
In fast-paced dental and medical clinics, it’s tempting to rely on a STATIM sterilizer—a type of immediate-use steam sterilizer—to quickly process instruments. But using this device appropriately is critical to patient safety and regulatory compliance. This post breaks down when and how to use STATIM sterilization based on CDC flash sterilization guidelines, helping small healthcare practices stay compliant without cutting corners. What Is an Immediate-Use Steam Sterilizer (STATIM)? A STATIM sterilizer is a specialized piece of equipment used for immediate-use steam sterilization (IUSS), formerly known as flash sterilization. It’s designed to rapidly sterilize medical and dental instruments that are urgently needed for patient care—not for routine or convenience-based use. When Is It Acceptable to Use a STATIM Sterilizer? According to CDC sterilization standards, STATIM use is acceptable only when: • The instrument is urgently needed and there’s no time to sterilize using standard packaging and storage methods. • It’s not being used to compensate for having too few instrument sets or to save time during busy periods. CDC Guidelines for Flash Sterilization: What You Must Do Following these steps will help you stay compliant with CDC and OSHA infection control requirements: 1. Limit Usage to Urgent Needs Only use STATIM sterilization for instruments needed immediately for patient care. 2. Do Not Use for Convenience Avoid using it as a way to speed up workflow or compensate for inadequate inventory. 3. Thoroughly Clean Instruments First All instruments must be fully cleaned and decontaminated before entering the STATIM cycle. 4. Do NOT Store Unwrapped Items After sterilization, transfer instruments (or handpieces) directly to the point of use in a sterile container or tray. Never store unwrapped items. 5. Use Approved Containers Only Only use flash sterilization containers or trays designed for high-temperature steam. 6. Monitor All Sterilization Cycles • Use biological indicators at least weekly. • Use chemical and mechanical indicators in every STATIM cycle. 7. Prevent Contamination During Transfer Maintain a clean transfer process. Ensure that items aren’t contaminated during handling or transport. Best Practices for STATIM Sterilizer Use in Dental and Medical Clinics • Keep backup instrument sets available to reduce reliance on immediate-use cycles. • Ensure staff are trained on STATIM operation and CDC sterilization protocols. • Document and log every STATIM cycle, including indicator results. • If your clinic is frequently using the STATIM for convenience or to keep up with patient flow, consider investing in an additional autoclave to support proper instrument processing and reduce compliance risks. Learn More from the CDC For detailed guidance on sterilization in healthcare settings, visit the CDC’s official page: 🔗 CDC Sterilization Guidelines Strong infection control isn’t just about guidelines— it’s about how your dental practice operates day to day. The way instruments are handled, PPE is used, and procedures are carried out in the clinical space affects both infection control and OSHA compliance. Issues in these areas are often identified during OSHA inspections, exposure incidents, or infection control reviews. Our FREE OSHA Compliance Risk Review helps dental practices understand how their safety and infection control efforts are functioning by identifying: Workflow or physical-space issues that may increase exposure risk OSHA gaps related to PPE, training, or exposure controls Areas where OSHA and CDC infection control expectations overlap It’s a simple, no-obligation way to confirm whether your safety systems support both staff protection and patient care. 👉 Schedule Your Free OSHA Compliance Risk Review
