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May 13, 2008

By Eva Cuny, RDA, MS

One way to comply with the OSHA rule on evaluating safety devices is to organize a scavenger hunt, or in this case a "dental hunt," for safety devices. This can best be done at your local, state, or national dental meeting where vendors are showing their infection control products. Everyone from the office can browse the exhibits and identify devices that may enhance safety.

Once they identify devices, everyone from the office can screen them by examining and comparing them to the devices they currently use by using established evaluation criteria. This screening is greatly facilitated by the CDC's sample screening form, which can be found at screening form.

This form collects the opinions of everyone on the "dental hunt" to determine a device's acceptability in the dental setting. The criteria help determine whether the device is safe to use on patients, has safety features to protect from sharps injury, is readily available for purchase, is easy and practical to use, and is compatible with other equipment.

Once the screening is completed, an evaluation should be performed for clinical use. Device evaluation involves a trial, or pilot test, to determine the acceptability of a safer dental device in an actual clinical setting. Criteria for the evaluation phase help determine impact on patient care, acceptability by users, and cost.

The device evaluation should provide the infection control/safety coordinator with enough information to make an informed decision on whether or not to change devices. This evaluation is greatly facilitated by using the CDC's sample evaluation form as a guideline. To obtain this form, go to evaluation form.

Reprinted with permission from the Infection Control In Practice publication from OSAP. For more information on anything relating to infection control, visit OSAP.

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