Infection Control · patient case question
Which of the following does NOT require a biohazard label?
Patient case: The Assistant Who Reported the Office
Patient: Not applicable — practice scenario
Chief Complaint: A dental assistant has raised concerns about safety practices in the office.
Background: She reports that personal protective equipment is inconsistently available, that sharps are not always placed in the puncture-resistant container, and that she feels at risk at work. She was never offered the hepatitis B vaccine when she was hired.
Medications: Not applicable
Vital Signs: Not applicable
Findings: Review of the office confirms lapses in barrier protection, sharps handling and instrument reprocessing documentation.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. A refrigerator storing dental materials and impression supplies
- A. Sharps containers DO require the biohazard label, and must additionally be closable, puncture-resistant, leak-proof and located as close as practical to the point of use.
- B. This DOES require labelling. Contaminated laundry must be bagged and labelled, particularly when it leaves the facility, so that handlers downstream are warned.
- C. CORRECT — this is the EXCEPTION. A refrigerator holding only DENTAL MATERIALS contains no potentially infectious material, so no biohazard labelling is required. Labelling everything indiscriminately is counterproductive: it dilutes the warning and staff stop attending to it.
- D. This DOES require labelling. Refrigerators or freezers containing blood, other potentially infectious material or patient specimens must carry the biohazard symbol.
Note: The label itself is specified: fluorescent orange or orange-red, with the biohazard symbol and the word BIOHAZARD in a contrasting colour.
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