Hazards in The Workplace and

Measures to Overcome Them

Idham Hafize SupiFatimah Che Rahimi

Introduction

Dental personnel and other dental staffs are always exposed to various numbers of occupational hazards in the course of performing their daily tasks and works.

Objectives:To know the types of hazards in the workplace

To understand the effect of hazards to dental personnel and staffs

To know the measures taken to overcome hazards in Faculty of Dentistry, USIM

Occupational Hazards

Definition:

Occupational hazard = risk accepted as consequences of occupation that harm workers.

The management of hazards are based on

Laws of Malaysia: Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994.

Guidelines on Infection Control in Dental Practice

Types of Hazards

Biological Hazard

Biological Hazards

Definition: biological substances that provide threats to the health of people.

associated with a significant risk of exposure to various microorganisms

Hepatitis virus, herpes simplex virus, HIV, mycobacterium tuberculosis, candida, Escherichia coli etc

Origin: Blood, saliva and respiratory secretions.

Biological Hazards

Biological Hazards: Effects

Bacterial diseases: tuberculosis, tetanus, food poisoning and blood poisoning

Fungal diseases: thrush

Viral diseases: mumps, hepatitis

Biological Hazards: Measures

Administrative• Ensuring appropriate preventive steps are taken

• All proper work procedure are recorded and documented

• Dental personnel are trained to use the proper procedure

• Compliance with all infection prevention and control practices

• Safe work procedures and education

• Complete history taking of patients

Engineering

• proper design and maintenance of facilities

• room design

• effective biological waste containment

• proper disinfection of instruments

• decontamination of environment surfaces

• Immunization

effective biological waste containment

Personal Protective Equipment

(PPE)Protective clothing

Gloves

Eye protection

Respiratory protection

equipment to minimize the infection = rubber dam, high-speed evacuation

Patient’s protection = bib and protective eyewear

Chemical Hazard

Disinfectant

• Use for cleaning and disinfection. • quaternary ammonium salts

• iodophors• phenolic compounds• hydrogen peroxide.

• Side Effects• Eye, skin, and respiratory irritants• Toxic effects

Methyl Metacrylate

Use for dental prosthesis.

Side effectEye, skin and mucous membrane irritant.

Symptoms- chest tightness, - dyspnea, - coughing, - Wheezing.

Chemical Hazards: Measures

Administrative

Educate workers in the nature of the hazard.

Ensure good hygiene practices.

Store products appropriately to decrease exposure.

Medical monitoring of workers.

Proper waste disposal.

Proper storage waste product to prevent exposure

Engineering

Substitution with less harmful product.

Maintain adequate general ventilation.

Local exhaust ventilation when removing old amalgams.

Enclosed mixing devices.

Labelling .

Labelling

Personal Protective Equipment

(PPE)

Protective clothing

Gloves

Eye protection

Respiratory protection.

Improper Personal Protective Equipment

Proper Personal Protective Equipment

Conclusions

Occupational health hazards are still prevailing in current dental profession.

It is very important to improve and increase the effort in promoting occupational safety and health to all healthcare professionals.

Faculty of Dentistry of USIM has followed all the precautions that should be taken to prevent and decrease the occupational hazards.

References

http://humanservices.alberta.ca/documents/OHS-WSA-handbook-dental-workers.pdf

http://benthamscience.com/open/toohsj/articles/V003/57TOOHSJ.pdf

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20730400

Laws of Malaysia: Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994.

Guidelines in Infection Control in Dental Practice