When you run a dental practice, the safety of your patients and employees must be your top concern. Your patients should leave your office feeling better than when they went in, and your staff needs to know that their well-being is your priority. You need to create a culture of safety where everyone feels comfortable and knows what to do if an emergency arises. Here are some tips for creating a safe atmosphere and essential protocols that should be trained immediately.
Creating a Culture of Safety
Everyone wants to be safe at work. As the manager or primary dentist at your practice, you need to create the proper environment so workers can worry less about their well-being and focus more on adequately performing their jobs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 17% of dentists said that safety was the biggest stressor in their office. Even though the pandemic is less of an issue, safety continues to be an essential factor in dental offices worldwide.
The first step to building a healthy environment is to run a risk assessment of potential issues that could occur around the office and create resolutions to avoid them. Some of the most common compliance issues include improper waste management, ineffective radiation safety measures, and improper management of controlled substances, among others. Look at your current protocols for those issues and fix any vulnerabilities. Run an assessment for every possible risk in your dental office.
Since you’re human, it’s realistic to assume that no matter how vigilant you are, a potential risk could still be missed. That’s why another part of a solid safety culture is creating a blame-free environment where an associate can bring up a concern without negative consequences. That includes when an employee feels like they’re being harassed. They should be able to approach management, tell their story, and expect a resolution.
Emergency Preparedness Training Is Essential
One of the most vital safety opportunities is a plan of emergency preparedness for your team and the patients. Start by creating a strategy in the case of a natural disaster, such as a tornado, extreme storm, or fire. Lay out the evacuation routes and practice them throughout the year so everyone can act swiftly and safely without confusion. You can also use this time to test alarm systems. Check that they are audible and that the employees know how they sound so they can be prepared.
Your staff should also be trained on essential procedures and actions to take if a patient or a fellow employee falls ill while on the job. Some Canadian offices even require that workers and supervisors be trained in life-saving actions like CPR and emergency first aid. Even if you’re not under these jurisdictions, your staff should at least be trained in basic first aid, and you should require refresher lessons annually.
It’s also wise to learn how to prevent medical emergencies resulting from a dental procedure. According to the Canadian Dental Association, 28% of medical emergencies occurred during root canals and 37% during extraction procedures. An emergency can often happen because the patient is experiencing pain, fear, or discomfort. Create protocols to alleviate these issues. Plan to use proper pain control techniques and speak to the patient before the procedure to address concerns.
Avoiding Infection and Dangerous Chemicals
A good safety culture also ensures that employees and patients are not infected or otherwise negatively impacted by dangerous substances. Chemicals should never be accessible to the general public, and only authorized employees should handle them at any time.
To handle and store chemicals safely, follow these tips:
- Ensure that all flammable materials are kept in a safe, cool place.
- Employees must always use gloves when handling chemicals in the case of a leak.
- Never remove the original label from the containers so everyone knows what it is and how to handle the chemical properly.
- Medicine and/or chemicals should never be emptied into other containers in the interest of saving space.
Beyond safe chemical handling, you must do your best to keep your staff safe from infections, as well. To do so, instruct them on proper hand hygiene and washing their hands using water and soap before surgery or contact with patients. Also, all employees should be required to wear personal protection equipment, including gloves and face shields. Finally, create a process to properly dispose of needles and sharps so everyone in the office is safe from cuts or infections.
Conclusion
It should be the priority of all medical establishments to have a culture of safety, and your dental office is no exception. Talk about the steps you’ve taken to protect the well-being of the staff and patients, and you’ll create a protected environment for all.
About the Author:
Beau Peters is a creative professional with a background in service and management. He is also an avid researcher and a writer of “all the things.” He has a passion for purpose-driven content and bettering the human experience. In his free time, he enjoys having a good cup of coffee and seeing the world.
