When it comes to your decontamination equipment, there is a lot to think about. A malfunction or even complete breakdown can be costly for your business in more ways than one. Not only will you have to find the money to pay for potential repairs or replacements while experiencing loss of income and down time across the practice, but patient services could be significantly disrupted, reducing their satisfaction and causing additional stress for the professional team. That’s why it’s so important to look after your equipment and keep it running efficiently. Furthermore, both HTM 01-05[i] and SDCEP[ii] mandate that autoclaves be validated and maintained appropriately, with best practice recommending the use of a validated washer disinfector too.
Servicing vs Validation
It’s necessary to understand the different processes involved in maintaining your decontamination equipment to ensure its long-term functionality. Some steps, like daily & weekly testing, can be quickly completed in-house by staff. Others require the expertise of specially trained engineers; these include servicing and validation.
So, what’s the difference? Servicing is about checking the equipment to make sure that all the mechanical and electrical parts are working correctly. The engineer performing this task will test each aspect and make any adjustments or minor repairs as they are needed. The benefit of regular servicing – usually recommended annually – is that small issues within the equipment can be identified and rectified before they affect the efficiency of equipment operation or longevity.
Validation, on the other hand, is a legal requirement and the process of confirming that specific functions are working as they should. For example, the engineer will test the steam penetration, temperature, pressure and cycle time parameters achieved by an autoclave to make sure the correct conditions are met to allow for the effective sterilisation of instruments. Annual validation is mandatory for these pieces of equipment.
The legal aspects of validation
Any technologies with pressure systems – including autoclaves – used within a place of work must comply with the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations (PSSR) 2000.[iii] The regulations state that the machine owner (the dental practice/principal) must ensure that the equipment is evaluated and certified by a ‘competent person’. This means it is vital to seek validation from a reputable provider who you can trust to send well-trained and experienced engineers to perform the task at hand. A written scheme of examination is required for every relevant piece of equipment and a copy of the most recent Report of Examination Certificate, this must be kept at or accessible from the practice. It must also be updated at a maximum interval of 14 months.[iv]
The validation process will vary slightly depending on the type of autoclave you have in practice. In every case, maintenance and safety checks should be performed, alongside thermometric tests, an Automatic Control Test, a steam generator overheat cut-out test and the verification and calibration of the steriliser. For vacuum autoclaves, the engineer will also complete air leakage tests and a steam penetration test.
Preparing your practice
For many dental practices, it’s easiest to contact your equipment manufacturer to arrange for the annual servicing and validation. Where that’s not ideal or available for whatever reason, several other providers do offer the services independently and can help look after your equipment.
It is most important that your chosen provider works with engineers who are sufficiently trained and competent in performing in the necessary tests. You will have the ultimate responsibility for correctly validating your equipment so you have to work with a team you trust completely. Another consideration is your provider’s ability to be flexible around your practice’s schedule, to offer the convenience that you need to keep your equipment running smoothly while running a busy business. Plus, you’ll want to know that the engineers who visit can make any minor adjustments and repairs to your equipment as quickly and efficiently as possible as part of the servicing process.
Leader in the field, Eschmann offers a comprehensive servicing, maintenance and validation package suitable for any brand of decontamination equipment. Highly trained engineers complete all the necessary testing and checks for complete peace of mind that your practice will be compliant. They carry Eschmann original parts to perform repairs on the spot for maximum efficiency, and with parts and labour included in the Care & Cover plan, it’s cost-effective too. In addition, Eschmann is one of the only providers to deliver Enhanced CPD accredited training with the installation of new decontamination equipment, and annually thereafter if you are one of their Care & Cover contract customers. This ensures that staff can confidently use and maintain your technologies on a daily basis too.
Avoiding problems with decontamination equipment is essential for all dental practices to help preserve an efficient professional workflow and exceptional patient experience. Equipment servicing and validation are two different, yet equally important processes that must be implemented annually. Make sure your practice is prepared with a maintenance plan in place.
For more information on the highly effective and affordable range of infection control products from Eschmann, please visit www.eschmann.co.uk or call 01903 753322
[i] Department of Health. Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices. 2013. https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/decontamination-in-primary-care-dental-practices-htm-01-05/ [Accessed May 2024]
[ii] Cleaning of Dental Instruments Dental Clinical Guidance Second Edition Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme SDcep. (2014). [Accessed May 2024]
[iii] Ligisation.gov.uk. The Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000. UK Statutory Instruments. No. 128. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000/128/contents/made [Accessed May 2024]
[iv] CQC. Dental mythbuster 12: Validation of decontamination equipment. July 2023. https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/dentists/dental-mythbuster-12-validation-decontamination-equipment [Accessed May 2024]
