BIOSAFETY COMMITTEE

Bio-safety regulations are intended to reduce the risk of transmission of microorganisms from recognized or unrecognized sources of infection in health services related to accidents by exposure to blood and body fluids.

THE OBJECTIVES OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE TO ESTABLISH:

• Accident prevention measures of health that is exposed to blood and other body fluids.
• Action to be taken against an accident with exposure to these elements.

It should be noted that due to scientific and technological development, periodic reviews of these standards for the purpose of ensuring the updating of the same should be done. Both the Dental Surgeon and Health staff are those most at risk of contracting infectious diseases such as AIDS, hepatitis B, tuberculosis, and herpes hominis virus infections. The dental office is one of the environments in which the patient and the practitioner can get these diseases if not taken into account the fundamentals of Bio-safety.

CONCEPT:

There are a set of preventive measures that are intended to protect the health and personal safety of health professionals and patients against the risks caused by various biological, physical, chemical and mechanical. Bio-safety should be understood as a doctrine aimed at achieving behavioural attitudes and behaviours that reduce the risk of health worker for infection in the workplace. Also committed to all those others who are in the care environment, this environment should be designed as part of a risk mitigation strategy. Protective measures must be taken to protect the dental health care providers, staff and the patients. During the work it is essential to consider the basic principles of bio-safety.

INSTITUTIONAL BIO SAFETY COMMITTEE (IBC)

Tagore dental college and hospital is committed to providing a safe environment for its faculty, students, visitors and the environment. Bio-safety Manual and Policies are designed to help foster a safe and healthy environment that adequately supports work and study. The goal of the Bio-safety Manual is to minimize the risk of procedural incidents by providing Dental health care personnel with the proper information needed to work safely.

To meet this goal, the IBC imposes requirements for safe laboratory and biological safety practices; reviews and approves policies, procedures, training, programs and facilities pursuant to the safe use of biological agents, other biological materials and toxins.

The IBC is responsible for infection control in dental settings. Recommendations are provided regarding

• Educating and protecting dental health care personnel.
• Preventing transmission of blood borne pathogens.
• Hand hygiene.
• Personal protective equipment.
• Contact dermatitis and latex hypersensitivity
• Sterilization and disinfection of patient care items.
• Environmental infection control.
• Dental unit waterlines, bio-film, and water quality.
• Special considerations (e.g., dental hand-pieces and other devices, radiology, parenteral medications, oral surgical procedures, and dental laboratories).

On Broad headings IBC oversees the

• Personal Safety,
• Equipment and Apparatus Safety,
• Biological Safety,
• Chemical Safety,
• Radiation Safety, and
• Waste Disposal.

BIOSAFETY

Comprehensive infection prevention and control practices are required to effectively prevent, identify, monitor and control the spread of infections in all health care facilities/environment. As part of this commitment, this bio-safety manual was developed to serve as a guide and resource for faculty, staff and students to understand internal policies and procedures related to biological safety.

OBJECTIVES OF BIOSAFETY

• To protect employees and their families from acquiring work associated infectious diseases or harm from biological agents/toxins.
• To prevent contamination of the environment and promote environmental quality.
• Overall oversight of the institutional biosafety program at Tagore dental college, including development of new and review of existing, policies and procedures designed to enhance the biological safety programs.
• Oversee and implement the biosafety policy and procedures in the institute.
• To ensure adequate containment of potentially hazardous biological agents.
• To add a level of expert review and monitoring of potentially hazardous experiments.
• To provide means of communication among researches and healthcare providers about potentially hazardous protocols.
• Regular auditing and random inspection of all the facilities.
• Impart training on the biosafety policy and procedures to staff/faculty and students.
• Coordination with various departments in view of implementing and monitoring safety standards.
• Evaluating, approving and counselling on various research proposals on biosafety issues.
• Assisting research in biological undertaking risk assessment and organizing training programs.
• Monitoring the personal health of risk groups.
• Plan for contingency management in case of any biosafety incident.
• To comply with all National, International and Local guidelines and regulations for the use of Potentially hazardous and/or regulated biological materials.
• To Develop a “Culture of Safety” Safety is a shared responsibility (shared accountability among the institution and the workers), and is built upon an atmosphere of trust.

Biosafety protocol

Dental Surgeon and Health staff are those most at risk of contracting infectious diseases such as AIDS, hepatitis B, tuberculosis, and herpes virus infections. The dental office is one of the environments in which the patient and the practitioner can get these diseases if not taken into account the fundamentals of Bio-safety. There are a set of preventive measures that are intended to protect the health and personal safety of health professionals and patients against the risks caused by various biological, physical, chemical and mechanical. Tagore dental college and hospital is committed to providing a safe environment for its faculty, students, visitors and the environmen.

As part of this initiative the students entering first year are given vaccination for Hepatitis B starting during the orientation program. Non teaching staffs are also given vaccination as and when they join the college. Teaching staffs are given booster dose of Vaccination every 5 years. All staffs and students are given vaccination cards indicating the date of Vaccination.Students and teaching and non teaching staffs are familiarised about needle stick injuries on a regular basis. There are posters in all departments regarding needle stick injuries and steps taken thereafter. Proper protocols are followed for reporting and treating needle stick injuries. PEP protocols are in place and followed strictly. Separate records maintained for needle stick injuries and follow up records maintained.Protective gears are advised for all staffs and students before, during and after treatments while disposing waste. The instruments are sterilised and all equipments are disinfected after every patient and floors are disinfected on a regular basis. ­

BIOSAFETY COMMITTEE

• Dr R.Riaz
• Dr.Balakrishna.R.N
• Dr.Rathinavel Pandian
• Dr.Kumararaja.B
• Dr.Jai Santhosh
• Dr.Sarath Sarathy
• Dr.Shanthini Priya
• Dr. D. Anitha
• Dr Mugil
• Dr Kalpana
• Dr Sindhu
• Dr.Sudha

• biosafety program report Click here
• sterlization register 21 22 Click here
• BIOSAFETY MEETING REPORTS Click here
• biosafetyannualreportsignedClick here
• fumigation register 21 22Click here