Kansas Dental Laboratories – Meeting Safety and Health Standards

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Dental laboratories are part of this state’s healthcare system, playing a vital role in the delivery of dental care to patients all across the state of Kansas.  As is the case with many professions, dental laboratories must follow both state and federal regulations regarding health and safety standards that must be met.  It is not uncommon for business owners and/or employees to face the loss of their professional licenses for failure to follow rules and regulations promulgated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).  There are countless ways to violate OSHA rules and regulations, and it isn’t always easy to keep track of all rules, especially when rules frequently change.

Common OSHA Violations Dental Laboratories Face

Dental laboratories may be cited by both the state and federal government in a variety of situations including, but certainly not limited to, the following:

  • Violation of the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) – Many dental laboratories have received citations for failing to communicate safety hazards regarding any chemicals manufactured in the laboratory.  OSHA requires that material data safety sheets (MSDSs) must be made apparent to employees, and such employees must be instructed on how to properly handle the chemicals.
  • Failure to Have Respiratory Protection for Employees – Dental laboratories may receive a citation for failing to provide required respiratory protection for employees exposed to air pollutants.
  • Failure to Have Personal Protective Equipment – Dental laboratories are required to evaluate the safety needs within the lab that will require employees to wear certain protective equipment.  For example, employees in all dental laboratories should be wearing safety eyewear as flying objects are always a possibility when working with tools and materials.  Failure to provide such protective equipment will result in a violation that could be costly if an employee is ever injured.

Regardless of whether you are a dental laboratory owner, or are an employee, it is important that you are aware of what consequences you may be facing for OSHA violations.  Individual violations are not likely to result in the loss of a Kansas professional license, however, if there are repeated violations with no improvement, or if the situation that resulted in a citation was very hazardous to human safety and health, then it is possible that an individual may face the loss of his or her professional license.  As such, no matter how serious the matter may be, speaking with an attorney about your situation is essential to understanding what your rights and obligations are.  With the help of an attorney, you will not be in the dark, and you will have someone working hard to help you keep your Kansas professional license.

Contact Danielle Sanger of the Sanger Law Office Today to Schedule Your Free Consultation

Even the simplest safety violation has the potential to put your professional license at risk.  If you are facing disciplinary action and/or you believe your license may be at risk, it is important that you speak with a skilled Kansas Professional License Defense Attorney as soon as possible.  Seeking the help of an attorney is not an admission that you have committed any wrongdoing.  Regardless of how meritless an accusation or citation may be, having a strong advocate by your side is essential to keeping your Kansas professional license.  Kansas Professional License Defense Attorney Danielle Sanger of the Sanger Law Office devotes her law practice to helping Kansas professionals keep their licenses.  As a former Assistant Attorney General of Kansas, Danielle Sanger has a true understanding of what it takes to successfully fight for your professional license.  If you would like to speak with Danielle Sanger about your situation, contact the Sanger Law Office today by calling (785) 979-4353 to schedule your free consultation.

Kansas Massage Therapists – Operating Outside Your Place of Business

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Massage therapy is a career field that enables massage therapists to essentially operate and provide services to clients from anywhere.  Many massage therapists operate their businesses from their home, or even travel to clients’ homes to perform massage therapy services.  While massage therapists do have options regarding where to operate their business, the place of business is crucial when it comes to following the rules and regulations that govern your massage therapy license.  There is no state-wide Kansas massage therapy board, so rules and regulations may be different depending on what city and county you live in.

 Why Does it Matter Where I Perform Massage Therapy Services in Kansas?

The location of your massage therapy practice is very important when it comes to representations you make to clients as well as liability issues.  If you work for a larger employer (such as a salon offering multiple services), you likely do not need to worry about whether or not the salon is in compliance with massage therapy rules and regulations, as this responsibility may not be yours.  However, if you perform massage therapy services on the side, or have your own in-house business, you need to be particularly careful with how you inform clients of your qualifications, and that your business itself is in compliance with all rules and regulations.

One problem many massage therapists come across is unhappy clients who may wish to complain about your services in some way.  For example, if a client believes he or she was injured while you were performing massage therapy services on him or her, that person may complain to a disciplinary board, or even file a civil action against you.  If you are at your home, at your client’s home, or are anywhere else that is not your traditional place of business when you are performing massage therapy services, then you could be at risk for being found liable for any injuries the client may have suffered.  Many massage therapists do not realize that giving a massage to a friend as a favor could be troublesome if that friend is injured and the massage therapy services were not conducted in a legitimate place of business.

If you are facing a potential disciplinary issue that has put your massage therapy license at risk, you will have a much better time of fighting to keep your license if you can prove you were working in a legitimate business setting.  As such, you should ensure that each and every location you are operating at is one that is considered legitimate and in conformance with the rules and regulations of the massage therapy licensing board in your city.

Contact Danielle Sanger of the Sanger Law Office Today to Schedule Your Free Consultation

If you are facing disciplinary action and/or your massage therapy license is at risk, you need to act quickly to determine what steps you need to take to keep your license.  You have too much to lose by fighting a disciplinary action without the help of a skilled legal professional.  Regardless of whether or not you have done anything wrong that should result in the loss of your massage therapy license, it is important that you have an attorney standing by to represent your rights and interests.  At the Sanger Law Office, Kansas Professional License Defense Attorney Danielle Sanger helps a variety of Kansas professionals face the potential loss of their licenses on a regular basis.  As a former Assistant Attorney General of Kansas, Danielle Sanger has a perspective that many other attorneys do not possess.  With experience as both a prosecutor and as a defense attorney, Danielle Sanger has the broad knowledge and skill that is necessary in a quality attorney.  To speak with Danielle Sanger about your situation, contact the Sanger Law Office today by calling (785) 979-4353 to schedule your free consultation.

Kansas Healthcare Professionals – Will the Ebola Outbreak Result in Tougher Regulations?

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The Ebola outbreak that has led to thousands of deaths so far this year has caused United States healthcare workers to question whether or not the current health and safety measures in place are sufficient to protect us from Ebola.  The United States is known for having superior healthcare facilities with the ability to offer round-the-clock care that many other countries simply do not have.  However, the recent incident in Texas where two nurses contracted Ebola has resulted in a reassessment of the current policies and procedures in place and whether or not such procedures are good enough.

We Still Have Much to Learn

While the Ebola virus has been widely known, we have not yet had a reason to learn more about the virus and its transmission from one person to another.  Current regulations in place that govern health and safety procedures may not be sufficient to handle a deadly virus like Ebola.  Many Kansas healthcare professionals face citations on a regular basis for failing to adhere to health and safety regulations, so it can be expected that as new regulations come into place, healthcare professionals may be scrutinized even more closely.

Repeated health and safety violations have the potential to result in the loss of a Kansas healthcare professional license.  As such, it is imperative that all Kansas healthcare professionals stay up to date on the changes in rules and regulations in order to avoid the imposition of citations or the potential loss of a professional license.  Healthcare professionals always have to act quickly to learn new rules and regulations so that they are doing everything in their power to adhere to new practices.  This isn’t always easy, and some healthcare professionals have trouble with change, resulting in disciplinary action and/or the loss of their professional license for violating safety rules and regulations.

Facing the loss of your professional license is something that makes your future uncertain, as you do not know how the Kansas Board of Healing Arts will react to your particular case.  Losing your license does not necessarily mean you will never be able to legally practice as a Kansas healthcare professional in the future; however, the consequences of losing your license will certainly have negative affects for the foreseeable future.

It may not seem fair that Kansas healthcare professionals have faced the loss of their professional licenses for what seem to be minor safety violations.  But, rules and regulations are taken very seriously and there are usually very few exceptions to any of these rules or regulations.  The best thing you can do if you are facing the loss of your license is to investigate your options for fighting to keep your license and being able to continue practicing as a Kansas healthcare professional for years to come.

Contact Danielle Sanger of the Sanger Law Office Today to Schedule Your Free Consultation

If you are a Kansas healthcare professional, and your license is at risk, it is essential that you speak with a qualified Kansas Professional License Defense Attorney with the experience and skill needed to provide superior legal representation.  Facing the potential loss of your Kansas professional license is surely a stressful and frightening experience.  No matter what the reason may be for why your license is at risk, you deserve to have a dedicated attorney review your case and guide you through the process of overcoming your tough situation.  Danielle Sanger of the Sanger Law Office is a Kansas Professional License Defense Attorney who helps Kansas professionals fight to keep their licenses on a regular basis.  Danielle Sanger is a former Assistant Attorney General of Kansas, with unique knowledge and experience that many other attorneys do not possess.  To discuss your situation with Danielle Sanger, contact the Sanger Law Office today to schedule your free consultation by calling (785) 979-4353.

Kansas Attorneys – False Advertising and Your Law License

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As Kansas attorneys, we understand that we must meet a certain standard of ethical conduct.  However, it is sometimes difficult to determine if certain conduct is unethical, especially when it comes to attorney advertising.  There is a thin line between truthful advertising and “puffery” that may be considered false advertising.  For example, making statements that border on the line of guarantees or assurances can put your Kansas law license at risk.  This is because potential clients often misinterpret information they come across, and if there is a chance that a large number of potential clients will interpret your advertising to be a guarantee of certain results, this is bordering the line between ethical and unethical advertising.

Advertising Statements to Stay Away From

Whether you are advertising your legal services through a website, newspaper, yellow pages, or television, you need to be very careful with the statements you make such that there can be no mistake as to what your message is.  Stay away from words that elicit messages that guarantee satisfaction with your legal services, messages that guarantee certain results, and/or messages that suggest you are a specialist in a particular area of law, when in fact you are not a specialist.  It is not uncommon for attorney advertisements to be misinterpreted, as the entire idea of advertising is attraction, and many other industries are allowed to embellish in their advertisements.

However, with attorney advertising, even one word can get you into trouble.  As such, attorneys should consider using words or phrases that represent the attorney’s experience, reputation, and success that are backed up with some form of documentation.  For example, if you are a personal injury attorney with a successful trial record, you can back this statement up by showing your win/loss record, and/or showing how many plaintiff verdicts you have won, something that cannot be disputed.  It is always best to put yourself in the shoes of any potential client to truly understand what others interpret your statements to mean.  If there’s any ambiguity, you may consider adjusting the advertising statements so that only one conclusion or meaning can be reached.

Potential Consequences of False Advertising

Anyone can file a disciplinary complaint against a Kansas attorney, and while many of these complaints turn out to be meritless, the Kansas Office of Disciplinary Administrator will certainly take a look at the attorney’s advertising practices.  It’s even possible that another attorney, judge, legal staff member, or anyone else may file a complaint against you if there are concerns your advertising is false or deceptive in some way.  If the Kansas Office of Disciplinary Administrator believes you have falsely or deceptively advertised your legal services, you may be at risk for one or more of the following:

  • Temporary suspension of your Kansas law license;
  • Private or public reprimand; or
  • The loss of your Kansas law license.

All situations are different, and the specific conduct at issue will play a role in how severe the penalties may be.  However, it is important to remember that many allegations are not investigated, and if they are investigated, they may be dropped if there is often insufficient evidence to prove attorneys have falsely advertised your legal services.  To have a better understanding of what you may be dealing with, it is a good idea to speak with a Kansas Professional License Defense Attorney.

Contact Danielle Sanger of the Sanger Law Office Today to Schedule Your Free Consultation

As a Kansas attorney, you do your best to follow the rules and provide your clients with the best legal representation possible.  However, there are situations where mistakes in advertising have cost attorneys their license, or at least resulted in disciplinary action that places restrictions on an attorney’s license to practice law.  Allegations of false advertising, whether true or not, can be detrimental to your reputation if you are ultimately disciplined.  As such, you need to work with a fellow advocate to ensure you have the best defense possible to the allegations of false advertising.  Kansas Professional License Defense Attorney Danielle Sanger of the Sanger Law Office has the experience and skill to help you overcome a tough situation that has become a hindrance on your legal career.  To schedule your free consultation to discuss your situation with Danielle Sanger, contact the Sanger Law Office today by calling (785) 979-4353.