Infection Control · patient case question
An N95 respirator belongs to which tier of the hierarchy of controls?
Patient case: Preparing the practice
demo: New associate dentist
chief: Reviewing the practice infection control and emergency protocols before starting clinical work.
history: The practice is updating its exposure control plan and its written office emergency procedures.
meds: Not applicable.
findings: The office manager asks a series of questions about immunisation, sterilisation monitoring, waste handling and the hierarchy of hazard controls.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Personal protective equipment
- A. Correct. A respirator is worn on the body and is therefore PPE, the bottom tier. It protects only the individual wearing it, requires annual fit testing, a seal check at every use and correct doffing, and fails silently if any of those steps lapse.
- B. Engineering controls act on the environment rather than the person, for example a high-volume evacuator, a rubber dam or negative pressure ventilation.
- C. Administrative controls are policies and procedures such as screening, scheduling and training.
- D. Substitution means replacing a hazardous material or process with a safer one, for example using a hand instrument instead of an ultrasonic scaler to cut aerosol.
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