OSHA and CDC compliance made easy with GreenLight

One of the most persistent challenges for dental practices is the lack of proper documentation. In some cases, even knowing what type of documentation that is needed can be difficult. While many dental teams know the protocols and procedures they should follow, this knowledge often goes undocumented and isn’t tailored to a practice’s specific state regulations. That’s where the GreenLight Dental Compliance Center comes in.

GreenLight is designed to take the guesswork and stress out of compliance. It helps practices align with OSHA standards, CDC guidelines, EPA and FDA requirements, and state dental board regulations—by providing a centralized, customizable, and always-updated platform for infection prevention and control (IPC) and workplace safety protocols. If you are looking for a system to simplify compliance and stay up-to-date on regulations, consider the following benefits of becoming a GreenLight Dental Compliance Center member.

Documentation matters

Too often, compliance protocols live in someone’s head—or worse, in outdated binders that no one reads. But without proper documentation, even the most diligent infection prevention efforts can fall short. Documentation ensures continuity, accountability, and defensibility in the face of inspections or incidents. It is also important to note that the CDC states that written infection prevention and control policies and procedures be developed and maintained and are based on evidence-based guidelines and standards. GreenLight helps convert institutional knowledge into structured, accessible, and practice-specific documentation. Its tools walk users through developing detailed, state-specific protocols that match their workflow and responsibilities and their equipment.

A streamlined approach to complex regulations

Regulations can change frequently and vary widely across states and jurisdictions. GreenLight continuously monitors OSHA, CDC, state dental boards, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for updates—so you don’t have to. By maintaining a single, well-organized repository for guidance, protocols, and standards, GreenLight simplifies compliance and reduces the stress of having to consult multiple resources.

Here’s how GreenLight supports your team across key regulatory areas:

OSHA compliance: Ensuring safe workplaces

General workplace safety: The purpose of OSHA is to ensure and enforce workplace safety. Employers are required to maintain a workplace free from recognized hazards (OSHA General Duty Clause [GDC]). The OSHA GDC is defined here: www.osha.gov/laws-regs/oshact/section_5. The GDC also requires employees to follow safety procedures. These procedures are described in the various protocols within GreenLight, such as education and training, vaccinations, PPE, cough etiquette, and more.

Hazard communication—chemical safety: Since many workplaces utilize products that contain hazardous chemicals, including dentistry, dental employers are required to comply with the Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom). One of the key requirements is the creation of a chemical inventory of the products that the practice uses and to obtain safety data sheets (SDSs) for all of the products. In addition, OSHA requires labeling of products that are dispensed out of the manufacturer’s original container and not immediately used up.

Another key component of this standard is the use of PPE to protect employees from chemical exposures. In 2024, OSHA introduced an updated Hazard Communication Standard that will require changes in SDSs, labeling, and training for dental practices. The most recent version of the OSHA Hazard Communication standard is accessible here: www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-05-20/pdf/2024-08568.pdf. In addition, a copy of an overview of the new standard and the timelines for implementation is available here: www.osha.gov/hazcom

Bloodborne pathogens: OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (BBPS) was implemented to protect workers from exposure to blood and other body fluids that may cause an infection such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or HIV. Health-care workers are at a higher risk of contracting hepatitis C because there currently is no vaccine for it. The BBPS standard has requirements, work practice controls, engineering controls, PPE, and other methods to protect workers from exposure to body fluids.

The standard requires employers to develop written exposure control plans, to document the vaccine status of at-risk employees, keep logs of sterilization monitoring and maintenance, and protocols for postexposure management for employees who have experienced a workplace injury that may have exposed them to bloodborne infectious diseases. GreenLight provides templates for these protocols and forms that can be customized for any state OSHA or board requirements, as well as the type of practice, and type of equipment used. A copy of the OSHA BBPS is available here: www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.1030

Needlestick prevention and sharps safety: An addition to the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act requires employers to annually evaluate sharps injuries and to document the evaluation and effectiveness of safer sharps devices. In addition, some states require employers to keep a sharps injury log to document incidents.

GreenLight includes templates for the evaluations and logs. A copy of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act is available here: www.congress.gov/106/plaws/publ430/PLAW-106publ430.pdf

Respiratory protection: Although respiratory protection is covered in the BBPS, HazCom, and PPE standards, OSHA has an additional standard for respiratory protection. The Respiratory Protection Standard (RPS) can be found here: www.osha.gov/respiratory-protection/standards.

This standard requires documentation of a respiratory protection plan, which became very important during the COVID-19 pandemic. The respiratory protection plan describes the appropriate types of respiratory protection, the need for wearing respirators in higher risk situations, medical assessments for wearing respirators, and the required fit-testing procedures for wearing respirators. GreenLight assists members in selecting the appropriate respiratory protection for the tasks they are performing.

Personal protective equipment (PPE): The OSHA PPE standard is broader in scope than the RPS, in that it describes requirements for eye protection, protective clothing, gloves, and other PPE, in addition to respiratory protection. Employers must provide PPE at no cost to employees and ensure that the PPE fits properly and is maintained to properly protect employees. Employers must also provide and document training for employees on the proper utilization of PPE. In addition, employees must use the PPE when it is required and could be subject to disciplinary action if not following safety standards. GreenLight includes protocols for PPE, which are customizable for the types of PPE required by OSHA and the types of PPE utilized in the practice.

State dental boards: Navigating diverse regulations

Each state sets its own rules for licensure, allowable duties, continuing education, and infection control. It is the responsibility of all licensed as well as unlicensed team members to be familiar with their state dental practice act and rules. These include:

• Scope of practice: Find links to your state’s dental board rules in GreenLight’s centralized table.
• Credentialing and continuing education: Requirements vary; some states mandate compliance with CDC guidelines.
• Waterline maintenance: WA, GA, and CA currently have specific regulations for water quality and water testing. GreenLight includes a waterline protocol customizable for the practice’s type of equipment and procedures for ensuring safe water. In addition, GreenLight includes a protocol for what practices should do during a boil water alert in their community.

CDC: Establishing the standard of care

Although not a regulatory agency, the CDC sets foundational guidelines that shape infection control practices nationwide. Many state dental boards require compliance with all or part of the CDC guidelines, in particular the 2003 Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, as well as the 2016 Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings: Basic Expectations for Safe Care. GreenLight includes accessible copies of the following guidelines:

Hand hygiene (2002; updated 2019): These guidelines describe various handwashing techniques and a surgical scrub technique; it also describes situations in which waterless hand sanitizers are appropriate and how to properly use them. Guidance is available here: www.cdc.gov/clean-hands/hcp/clinical-safety/index.html

2003 dental infection control guidelines: Comprehensive and currently under revision. Current CDC guidelines are accessible here: www.stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/6743

2016 Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings: Basic expectations for safe care are accessible here: www.cdc.gov/dental-infection-
control/media/pdfs/2024/07/safe-care2.pdf

Disinfection and sterilization guidelines: Defines disinfection and sterilization and the appropriate use of these procedures in clinical settings. The guidelines cover product characteristics, surface cleaning and disinfection, instrument sterilization, and monitoring. GreenLight’s customizable protocols follow the CDC guidelines and allow for customization for each practice. A copy of the guidelines and updates are available here: www.cdc.gov/infection-control/media/pdfs/guideline-disinfection-h.pdf and www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/disinfection-and-sterilization/index.html#toc

EPA: Registration of surface disinfectants and rules for managing hazardous waste:

The EPA approves and registers surface disinfectants based on evidence of what types of microorganisms the product is effective against. The CDC guidelines state that in the presence of blood, health-care facilities must use an EPA-registered, hospital-grade, tuberculocidal disinfectant. The EPA resources on surface disinfectants are available here: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/epas-registered-antimicrobial-products-effective-against-mycobacterium

The EPA also regulates hazardous medical and dental waste, including sharps, blood-saturated items, tissue, pharmaceuticals, amalgam waste, and certain high-level disinfectants. More information is available here: www.epa.gov/rcra/medical-waste. Many states have additional rules that GreenLight incorporates into its protocols.

FDA: Clearance of dental devices used for patient treatment

The FDA is responsible for the clearance or approval of numerous items used in conjunction with patient care, including instruments, sterilizers, high-level disinfectants (chemical or “cold sterile” solutions), and face masks.

GreenLight protocols include references to utilization of only FDA-cleared products and equipment, as prescribed in FDA regulations.

Training, documentation, and accountability

OSHA compliance requires ongoing training and documentation of mandatory training for all of the above-mentioned standards and guidelines.

Training: OSHA requires training for new employees, prior to performing functions that may put them at risk of an occupational injury or infection. This should be completed during the onboarding process. In addition, annual refresher training is required as well as situational updates as new products or equipment are introduced, or incidents may occur. These training requirements are all supported in GreenLight’s Education and Training protocol, as well as GreenLight’s compliance webinars and comprehensive video training for new employees.

Documentation: Customizable policies and SOPs have been developed for all required areas and are accessible in the GreenLight’s protocols section of the Compliance Center.

Auditing and accountability: GreenLight also provides tools to monitor adherence to protocols and identify gaps before they become problems. GreenLight has a self-audit feature, which enables a practice to evaluate their level of adherence to their protocols.

The GreenLight advantage

What makes GreenLight so unique and valuable to its members? Members have access to 21 protocol templates across all key areas of infection prevention and safety. These templates aren’t just fill-in-the-blanks—they’re designed to help you build a truly customizable infection prevention guide tailored to your practice’s structure, state-specific requirements, infection prevention and control standards of care, and best practices.

GreenLight isn’t just about checking boxes—it’s about building a culture of safety and compliance that fits your practice, your team, and your patients.

Become a GreenLight Compliance Center member today

GreenLight simplifies your compliance and empowers your practice to meet regulations and guidelines with ease. Visit greenlightcompliancecenter.com to learn more and complete the “I’m interested” form, and take the first step toward a confident, compliant practice. 

Editor's note: This article appeared in the March 2026 print edition of Dental Economics magazine. Dentists in North America are eligible for a complimentary print subscription. Sign up here.