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INFECTION CONTROL AND COVID-19 CONSIDERATIONS IN THE DENTAL LABORATORY By Andrea Johnson
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as Covid-19 had much of an effect on how we run and operate our laboratories? Have our infection control processes had to change dramatically? Surprisingly not really, as we are already working in an environment where we need to be aware and take suitable precautions with regards to personal safety and cross infection control. So what do we need to think about? STAFF CONSIDERATIONS We need to think about the health implications of our working environment and the conditions in place for your staff, yourself and the resulting impact this can have on your families etc A good precaution with regards to cross infection, Covid-19 or not, is to change into and out of your work uniform at work. When you have finished with it place your contaminated uniform into the washable bag and then pop the whole bag of clothes (including the bag) into the washer to decontaminate them when arriving home. WORK RELATED STRESS & MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELLING What is stress? HSE defines stress as ‘the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them’. Stress is not an illness but it can make you ill. Recognising the signs of stress will help employers to take steps to stop, lower and manage stress in their workplace. Employees feel stress when they can’t cope with pressures and other issues. Employers should match demands to employees’ skills and knowledge. For example, employees can get stressed if they feel they don’t have the skills or time to meet tight deadlines. Providing planning, training and support can reduce pressure and bring stress levels down.
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risk assessments with your staff and even more so in the current climate. This will not only allow you to make sure that you have the best possible precautions and workplace environment for the safety of your staff but will also serve to reassure your staff that you are taking their personal wellbeing into account and you can help them understand and contribute any ideas to a safer way of working for them.
Stress affects people differently – what stresses one person may not affect another. Factors like skills and experience, age or disability may all affect whether an employee can cope. There are six main areas of work design which can affect stress levels. You should manage these properly. They are: • Demands • Control • Support • Relationships • Role • Change Employers should assess the risks in these areas to manage stress in the workplace. How to help The earlier a problem is tackled the less impact it will have. If you think that an employee is having problems, encourage them to talk to someone, whether it is their line manager, trade union representative, GP or their occupational health team. (Health & Safety Executive (HSE), 2020) Also, have numbers of helplines and counselors on display and easily available for staff needing professional support. HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENTS OF STAFF It is important to carry out regular health
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Training of staff in new protocols It is important that if you have put any new measures into place either because of Covid or any other reason, that you fully inform and train all your relevant staff in these new protocols, try to remember those that have been off sick, annual leave, maternity and new starters may not be as up to date as the rest of your staff so they will need a back to work refresher if anything has changed in their working environment or your expectations of them. Due to covid-19 there have been many changes in the guidance for our profession, some of these in the early days of the pandemic were changing very frequently as we learned more and more about how the virus is transmitted and its effects on the human body. Fortunately, many of these changes have reverted back to their original state but some have changed for the foreseeable future. For this reason, please make sure you regularly check for updates with the following: • Health and Safety Executive • Medicine and Healthcare Regulatory Authority (MHRA) - Medical Device Regulations (MDR) • Public Health England • Government guidelines • General Dental council • Chief Dental Officer
