physically  and  chemically  and  will  not  break  down into the original elements. hard mass. When amalgam turns solid, it is no longer useful for dental procedures and must be stored in a solids  container. Personnel  Hygiene Dental amalgam scrap is stored in a dry state in an approved  solid  container  without  any  vapor suppressant solution and is not considered a hazardous waste. It is also necessary to clean the solids strainer (collector) of the dental evacuation system and recover any   scrap   amalgam   that   has   been   evacuated (suctioned) during dental procedures. Place any scrap amalgam  from  the  solids  strainer  into  a  solids container. The following containers are approved to store scrapamalgam: Proper mercury handling and hygiene procedures are  required  for  all  dental  personnel  and  will  be emphasized   during   training   and   indoctrination periods. Before  working  with  mercury-bearing materials (amalgam or scrap amalgam), personnel must remove all jewelry that could potentially become contaminated  and  permanently  damaged.  Eating, smoking, or drinking is not permitted while working with mercury-bearing materials. The use of patient examination gloves should be used to minimize skin contact. You should always wash your hands after working   with   mercury-bearing   materials   before leaving the DTR. Surgical needle jar with cover. Urine specimen cup with cover. It  is  very  important  to  keep  the  dental  scrap amalgam cover in place to prevent spillage when not in use. When the container becomes full, follow your clinic procedures for turning in scrap amalgam for disposal. Work Surfaces Work  surfaces  are  made  of  impervious (non-porous) material, usually made of stainless steel or plastic laminate. Floors Vinyl sheeting is the preferred floor covering material for DTRs; carpet is not permitted. The use of pre-encapsulated amalgam products has not precluded dental waste or scrap from falling to the floor and being crushed into crevices; therefore, seamless floors are preferred.    Floors should be kept clean and free of Handling Personnel should use a no-touch technique for handling  amalgam.  After  trituration  (mixing)  of  the pre-encapsulated  amalgam,  personnel  should  use  an amalgam  well  for  loading  the  amalgam  carrier. Personnel  must  also  use  water  spray  and  the high-volume  evacuator  when  cutting  or  grinding amalgam  restoration. Collect all amalgam scraps amalgam debris. Mercury Decontamination and Spill Cleanup Procedures before removing the rubber dam. Amalgamators  that  completely  enclose  the capsule during amalgamation (mixing) should be used. The  amalgamator  enclosure  should  be  inspected weekly  for  mercury  globules  and  cleaned.  The amalgamator  should  be  disassembled  only  by  a qualified  dental  repair  specialist.  Amalgamators, capsules,  and  other  items  that  may  be  contaminated with  mercury should be stored in an impervious catch tray. These items must be checked at least weekly for mercury  droplets. A  mercury  decontaminant  should  be  readily available for immediate mixing and application to a contaminated  surface.  The  decontaminant  works  by binding with the elemental mercury. If larger droplets of mercury are present, the decontaminant only reacts with the outer surface of the droplet forming a shell. This shell can easily be broken, releasing elemental mercury. Care must be taken during removal of large droplets. When mercury contamination occurs, it must be cleaned  up  immediately  with  a  mercury decontamination  kit.  Follow  the  manufacturer’s instructions  for  use  of  these  kits.  Use  the  following guidelines for mercury cleanup and decontamination: Amalgam Scraps (Waste) Amalgam scraps are left over pieces of amalgam generated  from  dental  procedures.  During  the placement of amalgam in a tooth, the amalgam is a soft and malleable compound that quickly turns into a solid Do not eat, drink, or smoke during cleanup procedures. 11-3