Ask the expert: Laundering dental scrubs
Q: Are dental offices required to provide on-site laundry machines to wash and dry scrubs worn by the employees? This is assuming that an outside laundry service is not being used.
A: No, dental practices are not required to provide on-site laundering for scrubs. Scrubs are usually not considered personal protective equipment (PPE), more like uniforms, therefore the employer can dictate responsibilities for wear and care, including laundering.
If scrubs which are not functioning as PPE are routinely becoming contaminated then, OSHA says the employer is not ensuring the proper use of and providing education about PPE and you must correct this.
In the isolated case where a scrub does become contaminated you must decontaminate the scrub before leaving the workplace. This could be done by laundering it.
If you are using scrubs for PPE, make sure they qualify as PPE through manufacturer specifications. Many don’t and if so, it is an OSHA violation.
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David LaHoda
David LaHoda is the managing editor of the OSHA Healthcare Advisor, the weekly ezine OSHA Healthcare Connection, Medical Environment Update, HCPro's Basic OSHA Compliance Manual Kits for medical or dental practices, and the OSHA online training materials for ambulatory healthcare facilities.
David has written 792 posts.
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