Dental Nursing Flashcards Health and Safety

What does COSHH stand for?

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health

What is COSHH concerned with?

Risk assessment of chemicals

3 substances covered by COSHH, found in a dental practice...

etch, amalgam capsules, developer

What are the 3 stages of the risk assessment?

Identify the risk, identify who is at risk, identify how to avoid minimise risk

What does RIDDOR stand for?

Reporting of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences regulations

3 incidents that should be reported to HSE under RIDDOR...

Contracting Hep C/B, bone fracture, surgery fire

2 incidents not covered under RIDDOR or reported to HSE

Patient tripping up, burn from autoclave, needlestick injury

Which act is concerned with the disposal of special waste?

Environmental protection act

Which Scottish agency is responsible for the regulations concerning the disposal of special waste?

SEPA

How should etch be stored?

Away from direct heat, in a cool/dry/dark area 1

How should etch be handled?

Wearing PPE, with care 1

How should ethyl chloride be stored?

Away from direct heat, in a cool/dry/dark area

How should ethyl chloride be handled?

Wearing PPE, with care

Who in a dental surgery is covered by the health and safety at work act 1974?

Employer, employees, patients

Who does the health and safety at work act 1974 apply to?

Hospital departments, community clinics, practices with 5+ employees

3 hazards associated with working within a dental environment...

Radiation, cross infection, mercury

2 ways of storing equipment safely and securely...

Locked cupboard, in original packaging

What 2 things should you consider when moving and handling heavy items in a dental surgery?

Dividing load, asking for assistance

How would you prevent potential harm that could occur from a needlestick injury?

Safe handling, disposal of sharps

How can you reduce the potential risk from this hazard: bunsen burner?

Do not leave unattended, turn off after use

How can you reduce the potential risk from this hazard: computer?

Take regular breaks, correct workstation height

How can you reduce the potential risk from this hazard: disposal of sharp?

Safe handling, correct disposal in sharps box

Why is is important that we follow HSE, SDCEP and HPS guidelines?

To ensure staff, patient and public safety

4 items that can be used to deal with a spillage of mercury...

Disposable syringe, brush and shovel, sealed container, disposable syringe

Who should be informed if there is a large mercury spillage?

HSE

There has been a minor mercury spillage, you reported the incident to your manager, what 2 other things should you do?

Evacuate patient + open window to ventilate room, using brush move globule of mercury together to form one large pool and aspirate it with the disposable syringe and dispense it into a sealed container

Which stream should amalgam capsules be disposed in?

Red stream

What waste is in the red stream?

Special waste

Which stream should a used bur be disposed in?

Yellow stream

What waste is in the yellow stream?

Clinical waste 1

Which stream is sent to landfill for heat disinfection?

Orange stream

What waste is in the orange stream?

Clinical waste

Clinical waste bags should not be more than how much full and weigh more than what?

3/4 , 4kg

3 incidents that should be recorded in accident book...

Burn, fall, needlestick injury

3 details that should be included in accident book...

Date + time of incident, details of injury, action take

2 examples of yellow clinical waste...

Used needles, matrix bands

2 examples of red clinical waste....

Amalgam capsules, developer

Orange stream is what risk?

Low risk

Yellow stream is what risk?

High risk

2 types of firefighting equipment...

Fire extinguisher, fire blanket

3 actions taken in event of a fire...

Raise alarm, evacuate building, call 999

3 security measures in place to protect staff and patient...

CCTV, zero tolerance policy, buzzer entrance

What is a hazard associated with etch?

Corrosive

What is a hazard associated with mercury?

Harmful to environment

List 3 types of micro-organisms...

Bacteria, fungi, virus, bacterial spore

What is cross infection?

Transfer of micro-organisms from one person to another

What is disinfection?

Chemical killing of bacteria and fungi but not all viruses or spores

What is sterilisation?

Killing of all micro-organisms : bacteria, fungi, viruses and spores

What is decontamination?

Range of processes (cleaning, disinfection, and/or sterilisation) which render instruments and equipment safe for reuse

What does pathogenic mean?

Micro-organism able to cause disease

What is asepsis?

Absence of all living pathogenic micro-organisms

2 examples of disease caused by pathogens...

Hep B, TB

What is a standard precaution?

Treat all patients as infectious

What is SICPs?

Standard infection control precautions

How do you apply SICPs?

Treat all patients as infections 1

What is a prion?

Abnormal protein unable to be destroyed by autoclaving

What is validation?

Documented quality assurance procedure applied to each stage of decontamination process to ensure the procedure is carried out to a required standard

2 examples of records that should be kept in relation to infection control...

Waste consignment notes, logbooks

What is streptococcus mutant?

Bacteria

What does streptococcus mutant cause?

Dental caries 1

What is Candida albicans?

Fungi

What does Candida albicans cause?

Oral thrush, denture stomatitis, angular cheilitis

What is herpes simplex?

Virus

What does herpes simplex cause?

Herpes labialis

What does lactobacilli cause?

Dental caries

What does borellia vincentii cause?

ANUG

What does legionella cause?

Legionnaires disease

What shape is cocci?

Round

What shape is bacilli?

Rod

What shape is vibrios?

Comma

What shape is filamentous?

Thread like

What shape is spirochaetes?

Spiral

What micro-organism is rod shaped?

Bacilli

What bacteria is round shaped?

Cocci

Is lactobacillus a bacterium?

Yes

Is oral thrush caused by a virus?

No

What does SDCEP stand for?

Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme

3 things you record during manual test of steriliser?

Time, temperature, pressure

3 items sterilised by gamma-radiation...

Scalpel, sutures, disposal syringes

What is a cannula, suture packs, surgical gauze and local anaesthetic needles sterilised by?

Gamma-radiation

What procedure do you take if fault occurs with autoclave?

Stop autoclave immediately, report, "out of use" notice on door, use alternative autoclave, contact engineer or identify faults from manual

Sequence of washer disinfection cycle...

Flush, wash, rinse, thermal disinfection, dry

What temp and time to reach thermal disinfection stage in washer disinfection?

80oC or 10 minutes/90oC for 1 minute

Max temp in washer disinfected during flush stage...

less than 45oC

Why should during the flush stage the temp not exceed 45oC?

To prevent protein coagulation

Micro-organsim commonly found in DUWL...

Legionella

How long should DUWL be flushed for between patients?

30 seconds

How long should DUWL be flushed for at the beginning of a session?

2-4 minutes

Why do we flush waterlines?

To minimise risk of legionella lying in waterlines

2 disease dental nurses should be vaccinated against…

Hep B, TB 1

After third inoculation for Hep B, a blood sample is taken for what?

To check titre levels

What do immunisations do?

Initiate body to produce antibodies

2 types of immunity...

Natural/artificial, active/passive

What does PPE stand for?

Personal protective equipment

How long is the recommended time for clinical hand hygiene?

20-30 seconds

How long is the recommended time for a surgical scrub?

3-4 minutes

What are 2 procedure that involve surgical hand hygiene?

Implant, surgical extraction

What is a inoculation injury?

A needlestick injury

4 ways a dental nurse can reduce risk of cross infection...

Handwashing between patients, zoning in surgery and LDU, disinfect work surfaces between patients, wear PPE for protection

Example of transmission by direct contact...

Handshake, coughing around a person