VIN PRAC140-0419: OSHA Module 1 - Paperwork, Training, and Inspections

The lectures for this course will be presented in an audio format using a webinar platform.

Enrollment is closed.
Presenter: Phil Seibert, CVT
Course Open: April 29-May 30, 2019
Real Time Sessions (RTS): Mondays, May 6, 13, and 20, 2019; 9:30-11:00 pm ET (USA)
Course RTS Times in Your Area: World Clock Converter

Level and Prerequisites: This basic course will be open to veterinarians, veterinary technicians/technologists, and veterinary support staff actively interested in understanding OSHA's Standards. We will discuss ways to design and implement an effective training program and how to survive an OSHA inspection in a veterinary practice.
VIN CE Course: Open to veterinarians, veterinary technicians/technologists, and veterinary support staff. This course has been submitted for RACE approval for veterinarians and veterinary technicians/technologists. This course has been submitted to VHMA for CVPM credit.

Course Information:
The three OSHA modules (PRAC140-0419, PRAC141-0619, PRAC142-0719) are designed for the Practice Owner, Manager or Administrator who want to understand OSHA's Standards as well as practical ways to implement them in a veterinary practice. We attempt to avoid debating the merits of any particular requirement and, instead, will focus on how to achieve compliance! This course will cover ALL aspects of a hospital safety program, not just the Hazard Communication Standard. The participants will be provided with many downloadable resources including the actual text versions of applicable standards.

The first of three modules, we will spend some time going over the process of distance learning. Even if you're new to this exciting way of CE, you'll see how easy it is to interact with other course participants and access the course materials or bulletin boards. We'll begin our topic by discussing exactly which forms, posters, plans or documents are required by OSHA. Some simple fill in the blank examples will be shared.

No matter how good your written program may be, if the staff does not follow the rules or simply isn't informed, you will not be successful. This week we'll discuss ways to design and implement an effective training program that doesn't take a lot of time to replicate each time you have a new staff member. We'll also discuss OSHA's Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Standard and how to get employees to wear the stuff!

Finally, what we all worry about, "What to do if OSHA decides to inspect your practice!" We'll talk about ways to minimize your risk of an inspection, as well as the EMPLOYER'S rights during an inspection. We'll also reveal some very creative "scams" that people have used to get your money under the guise of an OSHA inspection.

Week 1 (Real Time Session May 6, 2019): Administrative Requirements
Presenter: Phil Seibert, CVT
Format: Audio
Required Reading (prior to May 6, 2019 Real Time Session):
From the text: The Complete Veterinary Practice Regulatory Compliance Manual
  • OSHA & Hospital Safety (page 3)
  • Getting Started (pages 3-6)
  • Multi-Employer Workplaces (page 11)
  • Non-employees and Volunteers (page 14)
  • Administrative Requirements (pages 15-16)
  • Accidents and Illnesses (pages 16-18)
  • First Aid Kits (page 18)
Homework Assignment:
  1. Obtain one, 2 inch thick, three ring binder to start your Hospital Safety Manual. Label it "Hospital Safety Manual" and find a suitably "neutral" place in the practice for it to live.
  2. Obtain tab dividers for the binder to "section the HSM" into areas as we cover the topic in class. In general, you will probably use approximately 20 dividers.
  3. Draft a written Injury & Illness Prevention Plan for your practice based on the information covered in the real time session, the textbook reading and the sample in Appendix B of the textbook.
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • understand the employer's responsibilities in a safety program.
  • document and investigate workplace accidents.
  • develop and implement a written Injury & Illness Prevention Plan.
Week 2 (Real Time Session May 13, 2019): Staff Safety Training and PPE
Presenter: Phil Seibert, CVT
Format: Audio
Required Reading (prior to May 13, 2019 Real Time Session):
From the text: The Complete Veterinary Practice Regulatory Compliance Manual
  • The Hazard Assessment (pages 19-20)
  • Personal Protective Equipment (page 20)
  • OSHA Training Requirements (pages 21-22)
  • Staff Training (page 145)
  • Commitment of Leadership (pages 145-146)
  • Stages of Training (pages 146-147)
  • Use A Training Outline (pages 147)
  • Make Training Replicable (page 147-148)
  • Secrets to Successful Meetings (page 149-150)
Homework Assignment:
  1. Conduct a written hazard assessment of your practice using the checklists included Appendix C.
  2. Ensure there are adequate types and styles of protective equipment available for staff members to use during hazardous operations and patient care.
  3. Develop a written Personal Protective Equipment plan for your practice; this plan is often just a paragraph or two incorporated into a "general" safety policy (the sample "General Policies" plan in Appendix B includes such a statement).
  4. Prepare a written safety training plan (you can use the one from Appendix B of the textbook)
  5. Develop a training schedule for new employees (again, you can use the example from Appendix B. For the purposes of this class, We're mainly interested in the first week of employment and for you to have some kind of safeguard that ensures the employee will undergo a safety training session that isn't "forgotten or put off because we're too busy.")
  6. Compile a schedule of topics for an inservice program. (You can use the list on page 22 of the textbook as a guide.)
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • understand the four stages of team development and training.
  • develop a training plan for both new and existing staff members.
  • conduct training meetings more efficiently and effectively.
  • use the tools provided to perform and document a hazard assessment of the facility and procedural operations of the practice.
  • recognize the benefits and limitations of PPE and the employer's responsibility for providing the necessary equipment.
Week 3 (Real Time Session May 20, 2019): Surviving an OSHA Inspection
Presenter: Phil Seibert, CVT
Format: Audio
Required Reading (prior to May 20, 2019 Real Time Session):
From the text: The Complete Veterinary Practice Regulatory Compliance Manual
  • Rights and Responsibilities (pages 6-10)
  • Enforcing Safety Rules (pages 10-11)
Homework Assignment:
(Examples are provided in the coverltr.* file in Appendix B)
  1. Prepare an "OSHA Inspection" policy that instructs staff members on what to do in case of an inspection in your absence.
  2. Prepare a cover letter for your Hospital Safety Manual that makes the plans "official policies of the practice."
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • understand the employer's rights and responsibilities in an OSHA inspection.
  • develop and disseminate a Regulatory Inspection policy for the practice.
  • develop and implement an enforcement plan for safety rules.
Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of-course test is required to earn a certificate of completion for the course. To learn more about the requirements for earning a CE certificate, please refer to Receiving Your CE Credit and Course Completion Certificate.

Course Materials: Course materials will be available in the course library prior to each Real Time Session.
Required Textbooks: The following required textbooks are included in the price of the course.
  • The Complete Veterinary Practice Regulatory Compliance Manual
    This is a comprehensive reference tool for the practice administrator, covering not only OSHA standards, but a complete range of regulatory issues, including controlled substances and pharmacy operations, labor and employment issues, and ADA compliance.
  • Safety Issues for the Veterinary Practice Staff
    This self-paced workbook is ideal for training new and existing members of the practice team on the issues important to them and to OSHA!
About the Presenter:
Philip Seibert is a Certified Veterinary Technician concentrating as a full-time practice consultant to the profession and is Director of the VIN OSHA Center. Phil's extensive clinical and managerial background enabled him to become the first veterinary technician to evaluate over 1000 veterinary hospitals in the United States and Canada for the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). Phil has taken the lead in "deciphering" the regulatory agency rules affecting the veterinary profession and continuously offers advice to veterinary technicians, hospital managers and practice owners on compliance with the regulations. Phil is the founder and managing editor of the profession's only safety-specific newsletter, The Veterinary Safety and Health Digest. He is the author of many articles dealing with veterinary hospital administration which have appeared in national publications such as Journal of the AVMA, AAHA Trends, Veterinary Forum and the Practice Journals.

Total CE Credit: #4.5

Tuition: $159 ($149 early bird special if enrolled by April 15, 2019)
Prices are listed in US dollars.

*To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close on May 6, 2019 at 5 pm ET (USA) or when the maximum number of participants is reached.

*For more information on how online CE works, see the Participant Resource Center.

To Enroll:
  1. Enrollment qualifications: VIN CE courses are open to VIN member and non-member veterinarians. Veterinarians enrolling in a VSPN CE course must be a VIN member. Veterinary support staff must be a VSPN member to enroll in a VSPN CE or a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
  2. Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
  3. Each person is individually responsible for his/her own registration. To ensure that all information received is secure and correct, please do not enroll for a course on behalf of another individual.
  4. For further assistance call 800-846-0028 ext. 797 or email . Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.
Enrollment is closed.

"This program (RACE program number to be determined) has been submitted for approval by AAVSB RACE to offer a total of 4.5 CE Credits, with a maximum of 4.5 CE Credits being available to any individual veterinarian or veterinary technician/technologist. This RACE approval is for the subject matter categories of: Non-Medical using the delivery method of Interactive-Distance: (Web-based, Teleconference or Audio-Conference). This approval is valid in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB RACE; however, participants are responsible for ascertaining each board's CE requirements."
This course has been submitted for approval for continual education units toward CVPM requirements through VHMA.

Course withdrawal and refund policy: A complete refund of the paid course price will be issued when your withdrawal request is received prior to the listed start date of the course. If you wish to withdraw after the start date please contact the VIN office 800-846-0028 ext. 797 to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund.

*For more information on VIN's upcoming CE courses, check the VIN Course Catalog.

Katherine James, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)
VIN Education Director

VIN CE Services:
800-846-0028 or 530-756-4881; ext. 797
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01 45 222 6154
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from Australia: 02 6145 2357