Behavioral Safety in a Dental Surgery Facility

Abstract

ABSTRACT Dentists, dental surgeons, and dental assistants are routinely exposed to contaminants, disease, and infections. Another health risk these professionals experience is the time spent sitting in ergonomically at-risk postures. In the current study, a checklist with critical behaviors and behavioral products (results of behaviors) was used to assess the level of safety in a dental surgery office with seven employees. After baseline observations, task clarification, verbal and graphical feedback, goal setting and tangible reinforcers were used to improve the safety related behaviors of the employees. For all items on the checklist, the percent safe during baseline was 79.57%. During intervention, the mean percent safe was 88.88%, and the final level was 95%. Follow-up observations showed a decline in percent safe after the feedback ended. Three of the four partial indices of the checklist showed improvements of 12% to 33% in percent safe.