In the lead-up to their Practical Infection control course in June, we caught up with presenters Dr Roslyn Franklin and Steve Lines.
Infection control is a hot topic in dentistry circles, so this is a workshop you will not want to miss! Dr Roslyn Franklin (Director and owner of Amalgamate Consulting) and Steve Lines (Operations Manager STS Group Australia) are experts in their fields and will be able to share their extensive infection control knowledge during this course.
Ros has been running her infection control and consulting business for some years – but her transition from dentist to consultant wasn’t something she set out to do.
“A dental practice I worked at in Bunbury wanted to become an accredited practice,” she recalls. “The practice manager didn’t have enough time, so they asked if I wanted to come in and help. Afterwards, the dentist said: ‘You obviously really like doing this; you should do it as your own business.’”
Initially Ros focussed on assisting practices with accreditation, which later merged with an infection control component (she later did a post graduate certificate in infection prevention and control).
In Steve’s case, he says he and Ros share something in common, that their original training is still incredibly useful and necessary for their current roles.
“My background is an electrician, instrumentation technician by trade,” he says. “I worked in renal dialysis water treatment for about seven years and the neat thing about that is I was able to use my electrical and instrumentation skills and apply it to a different industry. In hospital based and satellite renal dialysis, there was a roomful of patients and a central water treatment system using reverse osmosis and heat sanitisation. Interestingly, that same technology crosses over into the infection control side of what we do with autoclaves,” he explains. “Both Ros and I have training in our fields that are able to be applied in different ways, and we have been able to work together very collaboratively and openly.”
Ros and Steve will be bringing their collective knowledge together to present a highly-anticipated workshop in June – Practical Infection Control: The What, The Why and The How.
The 4-hour workshop is designed to help attendees implement the latest Australian Infection Control guidelines and standards with confidence – deep diving into areas including personal protective equipment, hand hygiene and instrument sterilisation.
It will be the first time Ros and Steve will be presenting together in person (they have previously only presented together virtually – making a series of videos together for Ros’s business, Amalgamate Consulting).
When asked who should be attending the course, Ros says it is a workshop suitable for the whole dental team.
“I would like everyone including dental practitioners and practice owners to have more of an understanding about what goes on in the steri room,” she says. “I often hear staff saying: ‘The room isn’t big enough or I don’t have time to do things properly’.
“When the owners have more understanding on what is going on in this secret room then they are more willing to give more time for dental assistants to do their job safely and properly or upgrade or improve the steri processes and equipment. It is like me knowing more about how my car works – such as how to change the oil and check the tyre pressure – it is good to have some understanding.”
Steve adds a positive of the course is being able to get hands-on with a working autoclave. “You will have someone who is technical talking about the validation process about what probe goes where and why – and talking about the operator maintenance aspect of an autoclave. There is a hands-on, practical, tangible, element that you do not get from an online course.”
Ros and Steve will be attempting to make standards as simple as possible to understand – whether you are confused about rules and regulations or not sure what type of test should be done on a benchtop autoclave. Ros adds they will have a lengthy Q&A session – allowing attendees time to ask questions and interact with products on display.
She adds she hopes after attending the course, attendees have a sense of infection control no longer being an overwhelming subject. “Things are going to be broken down into easy-to-understand, actionable things that they can take back to the practice with them,” she says. “By coming to a course that is run by ADAWA – they know that it is a reputable source of information.
“These things aren’t confusing when you boil it down,” she adds. “We have done the hard yards reading through the standards and highlighting things and breaking them all down – this will save people time.
“Everything is less overwhelming when it is broken down into steps,” she explains. “I find when you teach that people go ‘Ohhhh’ – and I love that. It is ‘Oh! That is not complicated.”
To book your seat for Practical Infection Control: The What, The Why and The How with Dr Ros Franklin and Steve Lines, go to the ADAWA website, adawa.com.au/cpd
5 minutes with Ros Franklyn and Steve Lines
If you weren’t in this field of work, what would you be doing?
Ros: I would have been a pharmacologist. I was heading down the pharmacology pathway.
Steve: I think anything technical and solving problems. Helping people. I have always liked to know how things work and take things apart and put them back together.
What do you do in your spare time?
Ros: My spare time is spent crafting. I love to sew, I love to quilt, I love to knit and crochet. I also like to walk my 12-year-old chocolate labradoodle.
Steve: When Ros and I did an infection control video together, it was the week before my first and only body building competition. This was in 2023…I thought I’d join a gym, trim down and tone up and I ended up completely overdoing it taking things to the extreme, which is a particular character flaw of mine! I haven’t done a body building show since but I still like to keep fit for mental and physical health reasons.
What is your favourite travel destination?
Ros: My favourite travel destination has to be Scotland.
Steve: My favourite place is Italy. Every time we go back to our manufacturer, it is an absolute treat.
Favourite podcast?
Ros: When I drive from Bunbury to Perth I listen to ABC Conversations.
Steve: I am a podcast and audio book reading person. I like tuning into Chris Williamson, Mel Robbins, Joe Rogan and Brene’ Brown podcasts – and everything in between. An Australian podcaster who I absolutely love is The Imperfects with Hugh van Cuylenburg and Ryan Shelton.
