Lab Safety, Today

Optical labs run the gamut from roomy, well-ventilated areas to closet-sized workspaces. In these Covid-aware times, it can be a challenge to keep lab staff protected in close quarters.

James Mulligan, OT, ABOC, co-owner of Bouquet Mulligan DeMaio, with two locations in central Pennsylvania, has found a variety of ways—some obvious, some less so—to keep his business’s lab techs protected and his patients feeling confident.

Mulligan’s optical business is fortunate to have spacious labs in both of its locations, but every optician or lab tech knows there’s a lot of sharing of tools, machines, and personal space in a lab, no matter how big it may be. So, Mulligan says they employ a combination of conventional and nontraditional safety methods.

CONVENTIONAL PRECAUTIONS

In the lab, it’s mandatory masks, coupled with hand sanitizer “everywhere” and gloves always at the ready. Hand tools are wiped down between uses.

When lab employees have to be very close to each other, or when they have to interact with patients, a face shield is also used. Finished jobs are cleaned with soap and water before dispensing.

INNOVATIVE DISINFECTING

The practice employs an Opticwash machine, plus a FusionUV frame disinfectant unit from Santinelli, to help keep eyewear germ- and virus-free. UV units are currently used on the sales floor, and Mulligan plans to bring one into the lab for faster cleaning of completed jobs.

Battery-powered mats called cleanSurfaces are also in wide use. The mats disinfect themselves constantly for 30 days, helping to prevent cross-contamination between job and dispensing trays (cleansurfaces.net ). They are in use at the lab’s final assembly desk, retail sales desks, and the dispensing stations.

CLEAN ADVICE

In addition to the lab precautions and the office protocols of masks, face shields, and sneeze guards, the practice also utilizes electronic front doors and a kiosk that provides a no-touch check-in experience.

“Use everything you can to project a safe environment for your staff and patients,” Mulligan advises. “The patients really appreciate the fact that we are looking out for their best interest and keeping them safe as possible.”

He says he gets positive comments every day regarding safety measures at the practice. So, like many businesses, Mulligan says his locations will likely keep some of the new safety protocols in place even after the pandemic has been quelled.