Health and Safety in Dental Healthcare

The assignment highlights the importance of health and safety in dental care. It discusses various polices and protocols that need to be followed by staff, including workplace infection control, decontamination procedures, and proper use of chemicals. The document also emphasizes the need for fire exit precautions, identifying hazards, and handling carcinogenic chemicals with care.

Assignment

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
Legislation and policies...............................................................................................................3
Workplace procedures related to health and safety.....................................................................4
Reasons to follow instructions of manufacturer..........................................................................4
Contribution to Health and safety at workplace..........................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Health and safety of person comes under the health and safety legislative. In dental health
care, this means valuing health of an individuals as key priority. Each territory and state has
workplace safety and health legislation which contains specific obligations for staff (Shaw and
Downie, 2014). There are different acts for the health and safety of staff which has to be follow
by the dental health care.
TASK 1
Legislation and policies
In every workplace there are some polices to work in a proper manner, there are some
protocol for health and safety in dental health care they are:
Procedures:
Safety: When radiation used patients are given special blankets for protection.
Health insurance portability and accountability act.: Under this act patient privacy is
protected to being misused.
Health and safety at work act 1974 is an act which include safety, securing health and
welfare of individual at work. And protecting people against risks or safety which is connected
with activities of individual at work. In dental profession health and safety legislation desires to
protect patients and staff.
COSHH covers substance which is hazardous to health such as chemicals, dusts, mists,
fumes, vapours, gases, biological agents like germs.
Environmental protection act 1990 is include controlling air pollution, waste disposal
management and clean air and statutory nuisances. Clinical waste disposal and proper
management is vital. And strict legislation in work place to keep harmless. Clinical waste such as
animal or human tissues, blood fluids, swabs or dressing, needles, syringes etc. this type of waste
may be hazardous in dental clinics (Rogo, 2012).
Ionisation radiation (medical exposure) regulation are designed for who use X- rays for
diagnosis of patients. It is applicable to nurses, radiographers, doctors, clinical technologists. In
dental clinics IR(ME)R is used to get X-rays of teeth.

Reporting of Injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrence regulations is also known as
RIDDOR. It regulates statutory responsibility to report deaths, diseases, injuries and dangerous
occurrence. Accidence at work place can be major or minor. In this case it can be reported.
HTM-01-05 is a type of document which is designed to use as direction for
decontamination in dental practices. It's aim to better standard of decontamination in case of
primary dental care services by giving instruction on decontaminating instruments which can are
reusable and protecting staff and patients (Singh and et. al., 2012).
Workplace procedures related to health and safety
Some procedures which has to follow by staff for the safety and to prevent the risk of diseases
they are:
Workplace infection control: Hand washing prevent the transmission of diseases. Gloves are
mandatory before treatment of patient. Maintaining cleanliness in clinics.
Importance of procedures:
If any kind of problem with equipment can be reported to health and safety manager.
Equipments should be checked while purchasing. If airborne viruses are inhaled it can be
dangerous. Excess inhale of of anaesthetic gases can be lethal so minimum effective gas
scavenger can be used to trap waste gases. Ventilation is more important. Chemical substance
which are carcinogenic should be used with proper care and handling. Smoking inside the clinic
should be banned because it can cause suffocation and smoke can harm the patients.
Reasons to follow instructions of manufacturer
The reasons to obey guidelines of manufacturer include to gain desired outcomes in
which some of them are as under –
 It is very important to read instruction which is provided by manufacturer's, these are
given to make understand how can one use product features in best way (Raymond and
et. al., 2014).
 It contains specific details about the product which will not be available anywhere.
Without any instruction consumer can not use the product.
 Safety is one of critical factors to consider. Any kind of product has some guidelines
which contains safety information and helps consumer to avoid property damage and
personal injury.

Contribution to Health and safety at workplace
There are several ways to contribute regarding health and safety at work place in which
few of them are given below –
 Fire exit and precautions can be provided in case of emergency.
 Identify hazard- piece of equipment, chemicals etc.
 Handle carcinogenic chemicals with care and proper safety.
 Avoid direct contact with such chemicals.
CONCLUSION
Every workplace has its own polices and protocols. The staff has to work according to the
polices and has to follow procedure. The disposal of clinical should be disposed properly.
Hygiene is essential for dental healthcare. Proper use of chemicals can reduce risk of hazards.
Procedures should be followed because if not it can cause any kind of injury to patients and staff.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Shaw, J. and Downie, J., 2014. Welcome to the Wild, Wild N orth: Conscientious Objection
Policies Governing C anada's Medical, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Dental Professions.
Bioethics. 28(1). pp.33-46.
Rogo, E. J., 2012. Dental hygienists as adult learners and educators to improve access to care.
International journal of dental hygiene. 10(1). pp.36-45.
Singh, B. P. and et. al., 2012. Current biomedical waste management practices and cross‐
infection control procedures of dentists in India. International dental journal. 62(3).
pp.111-116.
Raymond, E. G. and et. al., 2014. Mortality of induced abortion, other outpatient surgical
procedures and common activities in the United States. Contraception. 90(5). pp.476-
479.