Practical Decontamination Training

How assured are you of your competence in
checking and testing your decontamination process?
Are terms such as protein residue or automatic
control testing unfamiliar? Do you know how to
record your evidence?

The need to understand what
cross-infection is and how to
control it within primary care
dental environments has been
long established addressed
through theory-based infection
control training.

Since the introduction of HTM
01-05 (England) (SCDEP Parts 1
and 2 Scotland), there has been a greater emphasis upon
the need to check, test and validate each stage of the
decontamination process. The user/operator is required to
carry out specific tests on a regular basis and record the
results as evidence. The evidence will also need to be
recorded and stored in a logical manner should any
validation evidence be asked for at any time.

In addition to the theory-based training, the DBG has
designed a Practical Decontamination course.
This training is designed for all staff who are directly
involved in the decontamination of reusable surgical
instruments, and for those who are responsible for the
implementation of decontamination protocols,
presentation of validation evidence and capacity planning.

The “on-site in-surgery” training involves the practical
demonstration of disinfection and decontamination process
from start to finish - from leaving the bracket table in the
surgery to adequate aseptic storage. The training also
includes practical demonstrations of:

• Validation testing of ultrasonic baths, washer-disinfectors and sterilizers that should be performed by the user/operator on a daily, weekly or monthly basis
• What PPE to wear during the decontamination process
• Logging of results of each test, storage and retention of validation evidence
• The flow of decontamination from clean to dirty zones following HTM 01-05 (England) guidance (SDCEP Parts 1 and 2 in Scotland)
• Purging of dental unit water lines and other legionella/water quality monitoring measures
• Waste and disposal management

The aim of the course is to give all surgery staff involved in the decontamination processes competence and confidence that their practical application of the decontamination procedures meet with good practice guidance and legal obligations.

For more information or to arrange
your course contact the DBG on
0845 00 66 112.