Christmas Closing Dates 2025
As we get closer to the festive period we would like to take a moment to update you on our Christmas closing schedule. Christmas Closing Dates Our final date for
3rd November 2025
Safe transportation of instruments from the dental surgery to the decontamination room is the first critical step in the decontamination cycle. The HTM01-05 requires dental practices to have safe procedures for the transportation of contaminated items from the treatment area to the decontamination room. This article will take a look at the first vital stage of the decontamination cycle.
Effective transport procedures are essential to prevent cross-infection during transport from surgery to the decontamination area. Soiled instruments pose a significant infection risk and must therefore be handled and moved in a way that minimizes exposure to staff, patients, and the environment.
Safe transportation also reduces the risk of sharps injuries to staff and protects instruments from damage caused by drops or mishandling.
Any single-use device should be segregated and disposed of in surgery prior to transport.
The HTM01-05 states;
"A single-use device should only be used during a single treatment episode and then disposed of. It is not intended to be reprocessed and used again – even on the same patient at a later session. "
Single Use Symbol
Single-use medical devices are marked with the single-use symbol. If you are unsure if a device is single-use, consult the manufacturer.
Anyone who reprocesses or re-uses a device CE-marked for use on a single occasion bears the responsibilities normally carried by the manufacturer for the safety and effectiveness of the instrument.
Instruments should be moved and reprocessed as soon as possible after use. Proteins adhere to instruments quickly, making them much harder to remove during later cleaning stages.
If delays are unavoidable
If unavoidable delays occur, a pre-cleaning solution should be used to prevent debris from hardening. See our separate article on instrument pre-cleaning->
Transport boxes help protect instruments, the handler and the environment during transit.
The HTM01-05 lists the following requirements for transport boxes;
Transport boxes should be cleaned after every use, a single-use disinfectant wipe can be used for this.
Need help with transportation or any part of the decontamination cycle? Get a free review of your decontamination procedures from our expert team — fully tailored to your practice.
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HTM01-05 COMPLIANT
InstruBoxes
To help practices comply with HTM01-05 requirements, we designed InstruBoxes—transport boxes for dental practices. They are ideal for safely moving small instrument loads over short distances from clinical areas to the decontamination room.
Regular size – 395 × 255 × 88mm
Small size – 240 × 180 × 70mm
Tall size – 395 × 255 × 155mm
Safe instrument transport is a vital safeguard for staff, patients, and the smooth running of a practice. By following HTM01-05 guidance and using compliant transport solutions such as InstruBoxes, dental teams can maintain safety and efficiency during the transportation process.
As we get closer to the festive period we would like to take a moment to update you on our Christmas closing schedule. Christmas Closing Dates Our final date for
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