A Strong Alternative to Patterson’s OSHA Compliance Program for Veterinary Practices

Veterinary teams face a unique mix of hazards every day. Including radiation exposure, anesthesia gases, sharps injuries, hazardous chemicals, zoonotic diseases, and fast-paced patient handling. OSHA compliance is not optional in this environment; it’s essential to protect your staff, reduce clinic liability, and support a professional standard of care.

For many clinics, Patterson Veterinary has long been a go-to provider of OSHA resources. As regulations change and as practices take on more complex services—many are asking whether there’s a more agile, more customized safety solution available.

Increasingly, that solution is Certified Safety Training (CST), a provider dedicated specifically to tailored OSHA compliance for veterinary clinics and animal-care facilities.

This blog breaks down why CST has become a popular alternative to Patterson’s OSHA training program and which option may better fit your practice.

What Patterson Offers for OSHA Compliance

Patterson Veterinary provides a broad set of safety resources and training tools, including:

• Training and continuing education (CE) through Patterson Veterinary Academy
• An SDS management platform (AutoSDS)
• Access to signage, safety products, monitoring programs (e.g., radiation and anesthetic gas), and hazard-communication tools
• OSHA compliance webinars and general standards education

These solutions are designed to simplify day-to-day compliance while giving clinics access to CE-backed training materials and SDS documentation.

For some practices, this bundled system works well, especially if their hazard exposure is relatively low or if they prefer to keep compliance tools integrated with their supply vendors.

Where Patterson’s OSHA Resources May Fall Short

Patterson’s tools are convenient, but some practices report the following issues:

1. Compliance materials feel generic.
   Templates, SDS databases, and broad training modules may not address the exact risks present in each facility.
2. OSHA documentation support isn’t comprehensive.
   Many clinics need more than templates. They need customized manuals, corrective-action plans, and audit-ready documentation.
3. Training may not go deep on high-hazard veterinary risks.
   Radiation protocols, anesthesia safety, emergency spill response, and zoonotic disease prevention require industry-specific expertise.
4. Ongoing compliance oversight is limited.
   A provider focused on supply sales may not offer the proactive, continuous oversight that OSHA compliance often requires.

This is where CST shines.

Certified Safety Training: Designed for Veterinary Practices

Certified Safety Training (CST) provides OSHA compliance programs built specifically for veterinary environments. Instead of broad, industry-wide templates, CST builds your compliance plan around your exact practice, including your:

• workspace layout
• equipment
• hazard exposure
• patient mix
• specialty services

Why Many Clinics Are Switching from Patterson to CST

Practices that switch often cite the same key benefits:

1. Better customization
   CST builds your plan based on your facility, not an industry-general template.
2. Stronger safety engagement
   Veterinary-specific training improves staff performance, retention, and safety culture.
3. Improved audit readiness
   CST’s documentation support helps reduce regulatory and liability risk.
4. Greater value for high-hazard clinics
   If you have X-ray, anesthetic gas, surgery, dentistry, boarding, or intensive treatment areas, specialized compliance is crucial.

Final Thoughts: CST as a Modern, Veterinary-Focused OSHA Solution

Patterson Veterinary continues to offer useful tools, and broad CE or training options. Many practices with higher hazard exposure need more than that. Certified Safety Training delivers a deeper, more customized, and more robust OSHA compliance program.

CST focuses exclusively on safety and regulatory compliance. This allows for a hands-on, tailored approach that keeps your team safer, your documentation organized, and your clinic audit-ready year-round.