IPC Update

Dec. 10, 2020 | Health, Safety & Environment Coordinator

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Dear Staff, Faculty and Students,

We have an update on continuous eye protection based on some questions that have come up since implementation:

• Students/faculty/staff DO NOT have to wear eye protection when

• riding the elevators with patients - 2m distance, however, must be maintained

• walking/cutting through clinical areas

• lining up at the café - 2m distance, however, must be maintained

Students/faculty/staff MUST wear eye protection when

• riding the elevator while transporting/escorting a patient

• walking from clinical area to clinical area while performing their duties

In the context of the School of Dentistry this means:

• Regular prescription eyewear is NOT adequate eye protection. Instead, you must wear either custom made prescription safety glasses, over-the-glasses safety glasses or a full face shield as indicated by the task you are performing.

• In the OHC, anyone who isn't on the clinic floor i.e., area with all the dental operatories, does NOT need to wear a face shield.

• Anyone who is in the area where the dental operatories are must wear a face shield in addition to a head cover, mask & gown (and gloves as required) while patient care is taking place.

• In KEC, Kipnes & Katz, anyone who works or learns in a lab (Staff, Students, Faculty) must have safety glasses on at all times while in the lab. 

• Anyone who may be cutting through the clinic using the east-west hallways (alcoves) or the back (staff) or front (patient) hallways does not need to have a face shield on - careful to watch for patients and stay 2m away from patients at all times.

*Essentially, anyone involved in activities in the Oral Health Clinic must wear a full face shield at all times while performing their patient care duties

Have IPC Questions, Concerns or Positive Comments? Email dentIPC@ualberta.ca.

Sincerely,
Dr. Khaled Altabtbaei, IPC Officer
Ronna Richardson-Lozano, IPC Coordinator