Plan and manage hygiene and biosecurity when carrying out equine dental procedures

This standard covers planning and managing hygiene and biosecurity when carrying out equine dental procedures. You will maintain a high standard of hygiene at all times, taking all practicable steps to avoid cross-infection between horses and to humans, and play your part in the biosecurity of the establishments you visit.

You will need to have established protocols for all your practical hygiene procedures: for both the premises you visit and your own premises, and for your vehicle, equipment and yourself. You will be able to assess the risks involved and address them by adapting your working practices and communicating with others. You will have knowledge of specific infectious diseases and devise measures to avoid spreading disease and compromising the biosecurity of the different premises you visit.

As someone who works with horses you should be an advocate of good biosecurity practices in the equine sector.

This standard is for those who carry out equine dental procedures. Users of the standard will need to ensure that their practice reflects up-to-date information and policies, and that they work within the limits of their authority, expertise, training, competence and experience.

1. devise a hygiene protocol and carry out a system of hygiene, including disinfection, for:
   P1.1 yourself
   P1.2 your equipment
   P1.3 your vehicle
   P1.4 your base premises
2. confirm that the hygiene system is applied:
   P2.1 during a procedure
   P2.2 between horses
   P2.3 between premises
   P2.4 at the end of the working day
3. make sure that the hygiene system includes:
   P3.1 hygienic methods of working
   P3.2 cleaning instruments, clothing, instrument containers, vehicles and floors
   P3.2 disinfection of all those items
   P3.2 safe disposal of contaminated disposable items
   P3.5 safe storage and handling of contaminated non-disposable items
4. select and use appropriate disinfectants and/or sterilisation as part of your hygiene system
5. choose, obtain and correctly use personal protective equipment that promotes hygiene and biosecurity
6. choose and obtain equipment that facilitates cleanliness and hygiene, taking into account the features on equipment that may limit cleaning and disinfection
7. recognise signs of good health in horses and signs or symptoms in a horse that suggest that it might have an infectious disease
8. adapt your working practices and precautions to deal with particular known or suspected disease risks
9. recognise when any signs or symptoms you may have observed in a horse should be brought to the attention of a veterinary surgeon
10. comply with the statutory requirements for reporting suspicions of notifiable diseases
11. comply with the statutory requirements for disinfection or for the disposal of contaminated items
12. comply with the statutory requirements for the disposal of chemicals
13. communicate risks to hygiene and biosecurity to others on the premises
14. work in accordance with the Veterinary Surgeons Act (1966) and the limits of your authority, expertise, training, competence and experience

1. the definitions of cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation and when each process should be used
2. the reasons and importance of cleaning and disinfection in your work and why cleaning should be done before disinfection
3. how to devise hygiene protocols for your own work
4. the types of personal protective equipment that promote hygiene and biosecurity and how to obtain such equipment
5. how to use personal protective equipment correctly, including:
   K5.1 how to clean it
   K5.2 how to store it safely when contaminated
   K5.3 if disposable, how to dispose of it correctly
6. the characteristics to consider when selecting an appropriate disinfectant, including their:
   K6.1 mode of use
   K6.2 dilution rate
   K6.3 speed of action at the temperatures most likely in use in your work
7. the generic names of common disinfectant chemicals that are:
   K7.1 suitable for equine dental work
   K7.2 unsuitable for equine dental work
8. the information that will appear on a properly labelled disinfectant and how to interpret it in practical terms for your work
9. any adverse effects or potential hazards of the disinfectants that you use and the information you should give to other persons concerning risks
10. the legal requirements for the safe handling or disposal of disinfectants, and how these can be met
11. any legal requirements for disinfection protocols
12. the legal requirements for the disposal of contaminated items, and how these can be met
13. the design features of equipment that may hinder cleaning and disinfection, and practical ways of either avoiding or dealing with such features
14. the additional or different precautions that you may require in your protocol if suspected infectious disease is encountered
15. the signs or symptoms that give rise to suspicion of infectious disease in a horse, the more common diseases that might be involved, and who needs to be informed
16. the requirements of the Veterinary Surgeons Act (1966) in relation to your role
17. the signs or symptoms that would require you to report your observation to a veterinary surgeon and which diseases are notifiable
18. the ways in which infection may be transmitted, both in general and in relation to specific common diseases, and how this affects the precautions that should be taken
19. the definition of the term “zoonotic” and the common zoonotic risks when working with horses
20. the definition of biosecurity, the need for it in the premises you visit, and how to maintain it while carrying out your work
21. the limitations of techniques (such as attempted disinfection of vehicle tyres) popularly applied in biosecurity, and the uses of effective techniques and protocols
22. how biosecurity measures might vary according to geographical area and current disease situations
23. the sources of information which will keep you up to date with any infectious diseases that may currently be of extra concern, and how best to use these sources
24. the importance of communicating concerns and observations to others, with due regard for client confidentiality and legal requirements
25. your legal and professional liability when working as an equine dental technician and the importance of appropriate insurance cover

Animal welfare legislation:
England and Wales – Animal Welfare Act 2006
Scotland – Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006
Northern Ireland – Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011

Horse
For the purpose of this standard the term horse includes donkey, ass, mule, hinny, pony and other equidae.