Decontamination in primary care dental practices - Gov.uk

Decontamination: Health Technical Memorandum 01-05 – Decontamination in primary care dental practices (2013 edition)10.16 Consideration should be given to the:• voltage (V) supply of the equipment (single230 V or three-phase 400 V) to help establishwhether the electrical infrastructure needsmodification;• power (kW/h) consumption of the equipment(this will help to establish running costs).10.17 Ultrasonic cleaners may be designed to operate at asingle frequency, across a frequency range, and/orwith a controlling system to adjust the frequencyin response to the loading conditions.10.18 Siting of the ultrasonic cleaner within theworkplace should be in a defined area, following astrict dirty-to-clean workflow.10.19 It should be easy to wipe down and disinfect theultrasonic cleaner.10.20 An ultrasonic cleaner needs to be maintainedby a Competent Person (Decontamination) or asuitably qualified person.Specifications10.21 When procuring ultrasonic cleaners, the followingspecification points should be considered:• a reservoir (or tank) large enough toaccommodate the required throughput;• a reservoir that should be of a polishedstainless-steel construction with internalrounded edges/corners to aid in the cleaningprocess;• the maximum and minimum fluid levels clearlyvisible to the user marked on the reservoir;• a reservoir drainage facility that does not affectperformance and does not leave pools of fluidin the reservoir, which allows the tank to beemptied without the need for operatives to puttheir hands in the fluid;• an integral purpose-built holding basket, whichenables all equipment to be held within theultrasonic bath in the optimum position so thatmicro-dental instruments or instruments withfine points are not blunted by the impactsresulting from fine mechanical shaking;• a hinged auto-locking lid that preventsinteraction with the load once the ultrasonicequipment is in use, also reducing the risk ofaerosols and noise – if not interlocked, theequipment should be clearly labelled, warningusers not to put their hands in the device whenit is activated;• a means to control the detergent’sconcentration;• an automatic printer and data-logger (this canbe integrated) that records:– time and date,– cycle type,– unique cycle number,– duration of cycle,– equipment serial number,– minimum/maximum temperatures,– a sensor recording ultrasonic activity,– electrical demand (in watts or amperes),– cycle failure indication;• a display indicator integral to the unit clearlydisplaying:– time and date,– elapsed cycle time,– maximum/minimum temperatures,– ultrasonic activity,– cycle failure indication,– lamp warning indicators;• lower-level fluid sensor/auto cut-off;• thermostatic control;• over-temperature sensor, with automatic cut-offand warning indication;• a cleaning cycle ideally identified by a uniquecycle number.10.22 Ultrasonic equipment should come with an easilyreadableoperating, maintenance and technicalmanual that includes:• installation requirements;• suitable chemicals, for use;• degas requirements (prior to use);• optimum working temperatures;• cleaning instructions (stipulating suitabledetergent) for the user;• safety instructions;50