IMPLEMENT AND MONITOR INFECTION CONTROL POLICIES

AND PROCEDURES

Introduction
Effective infection control is central to providing high quality support for
clients and a safe working environment for employees, patients, students, and
visitors.
Staff and clients are most likely sources of infectious agents and are also
the most common susceptible hosts. Other people visiting the premises may be
at risk of both infection and transmission.
Infection control is integral to client support, not an additional set of
practices. Infections and infection transmission is prevented and managed as
far as possible through the application of standard precaution practices.

Definition of Terms
Infection - is the invasion of an organism's body tissues by disease-causing
agents, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the
infectious agents and the toxins they produce.
- Requires three main elements
 a source of the infectious agent
 a mode of transmission
- the main modes for transmission of infectious agents are
contact (including blood borne), droplet and airborne.
Transmission of infection may also occur through sources
such as contaminated food, water, medications, devices or
equipment.
 a susceptible host

Infection control is preventing the transmission of infectious organisms and

managing infections if they occur.
Infectious agents are biological agents that cause disease or illness to their
hosts.
Contact transmission usually involves transmission of an infectious agent by
hand or via contact with blood or body substances. Contact may be direct or
indirect.
Direct contact transmission occurs when infectious agents are transferred
from one person to another, for example, a client’s blood entering a healthcare
worker’s body through an unprotected cut in the skin.
Indirect contact transmission involves the transfer of an infectious agent
through a contaminated intermediate object or person, for example, an
employee touches an infected body site on one client and does not perform hand
hygiene before touching another client.
Standard precautions are work practices which require everyone to assume
that all blood and body substances are potential sources of infection,
independent of perceived risk.

Risk Management
Risks of infection are regularly assessed, identified and managed.
Employees are trained in infection control practice, including relevant
application of precautions to minimise the risk of infection.
Mechanisms are in place for monitoring compliance with infection control
procedures.

Policy Implementation

The organisation ensures effective implementation of infection control.

All staff have access to policies and procedures relating to infection control.
Tailored training is provided to persons with specific tasks where infection
transmission is a risk.
Records of infection control activities are maintained, including infection
control training undertaken, information provided to clients and the use of
personal protective equipment (PPE).
There are mechanisms for monitoring compliance with infection control.

Policy Detail

Infection Control Risk Management Plan

Once infection risks are identified, the organisation’s risk management

program includes:

o eliminating the risk factors

o modifying or changing procedures, protocols and work practices
o monitoring client and employee compliance with infection control
procedures
o providing information/education and training to clients and employees.

Education and Information

o Education regarding infection prevention core principles is provided to all

new staff and to existing staff annually.
o Advice and information is provided to staff regarding new and emerging
infectious disease threats and trends.
o Advice and education related to infection prevention is routinely provided
to clients.

Standard Precautions

 Standard precautions can be defined in three ways. They are:

- safe work practices for the care and treatment of all clients
regardless of their known or presumed infectious status,
- the minimum required level of infection control in all settings
and all situations, and
- designed to protect both clients and health care workers.
Standard precautions include the following five procedures:
 hand washing,
 use of personal protective equipment,
 correct handling and disposal of waste,
 appropriate cleaning of client care equipment, and
 hygienic environmental control.
Standard precautions apply whenever you may come in contact with the
following four bodily substances:
 blood (including dried blood),
 all body substances, secretions and excretions (excluding sweat),
regardless of whether or not they contain visible blood,
 non-intact skin, and
 mucous membranes.

 Hand Washing and Hand Care

Handwashing is the single most effective way to reduce the
number of microorganisms on the surface of the skin. It should
always be performed:
 before and after contact with a client,
 before and after eating,
 after using the toilet,
 before and after using gloves,
 after contact with used equipment, and
 immediately following contact with bodily fluids.
Standard handwashing procedure:
1. Remove jewellery.
2. Wet hands thoroughly all over.
3. Use pH neutral soap.
4. Lather soap all over hands.
5. Rub hands together vigorously for 15-20 seconds. Pay
particular attention to the fingertips, thumbs, wrists, finger
webs and the backs of the hands.
6. Rinse under running water.
7. Pat hands dry with paper towels.

Hand washing and hand care are considered the most

important measures in infection control. Skin is a natural defence
against infection. Cuts and abrasions on exposed skin should be
covered with a water resistant dressing changed as often as
necessary.
Hands must be washed and dried before and after any direct
client contact and/or the removal of gloves. Hands should be washed
with a soap or cleaning agent covering all surfaces. Protective gloves
must be worn when handling blood and body substances.

Barrier creams
The best protection against bacteria is intact skin, so each
time you wash your hands you should apply barrier cream. Take
care when cutting your finger nails and pay attention to
 maintaining intact cuticles. Any wound or abrasion should be
covered using a waterproof dressing.

Waterless handwashing
There are waterless alcohol based hand wash solutions that
are as effective as soap and water hand washing. These
preparations should only be used when there is no visible soiling of
the hands. If there is visible soiling, then soap and water hand
washing should be used. These waterless preparations contain an
emollient and aid in reducing damage to the hands.

 Protective Barriers
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Some of the duties that you perform in the workplace
may require you to protect yourself from either the
environment in which you are working, infectious clients, or
to protect the client from you if you are infectious.
Personal protective equipment also includes any
substance, such as sunscreen, used to protect health.
Sunset Bay Health Campus gives our staff training in the
relevant protective equipment necessary for their workplace.
This training covers:
- recognising the risk or hazard,
- knowing when to use protective equipment,
- basic understanding of the equipment and how it is
protective,
- selection of the correct equipment,
- safe working practice when using equipment following
organisations policies and procedures,
- correct fit and comfort of PPE,
- disposal/cleaning and storage of the goods,
- limitations in use, and
- replacement of equipment.
Protective barriers (eye shields, gloves, gowns and masks)
are to be used whenever there is a potential for exposure to blood
and body substances.
General purpose utility gloves should be worn for
housekeeping tasks including: cleaning clinical instrument and
handling chemical disinfectants.
Utility gloves are to be discarded if they are peeled, torn or
punctured or have other evidence of deterioration.
  Needles and Sharps
Special care must be taken to prevent injuries during
procedures when cleaning sharp instruments, and use or disposal of
sharps (needles). Sharps must not be passed from one worker to
another unless specifically required for the proper conduct of the
procedure.
Needles must not be removed from disposable syringes for
disposal. It is preferable to use forceps or a protective guard when
disposing.
Sharps containers should be placed as close as practical to the
client care area, not easily accessible to visitors and out of the reach
of children. Containers should be clearly labelled with the biohazard
symbol and never overfilled.

 Quarantining
Staff, students, volunteers and clients experiencing infectious
conditions will be requested to refrain from the premises and activities
during the infectious period of the condition.

Response to Possible Infection

o When potentially infected body fluids come into contact with an

employee, Board member, student, volunteer or client, steps are taken to
decrease the impact of such contact, including first aid and assessment
at a medical service.
o A supervisor must be notified of such incidents as soon as possible and
an incident report form completed.
 Self-Check 3.3
Matching Type. Match column A with column B by writing the letter of the
correct answer on the blank provided.

A B

A. One who must have the expertise and interest to

1. _________ Subordination
teach.
B. This involves observing others who are skilled in
2. _________ Marginalization the performance to be learned and /or following
instructions.
Gender and C. One who must have the motivation and capacity
3. _________
Development to learn and apply his learning.

Violence Against D. The study of each job operation involved in a

4. _________
Women certain job.

E. Tells what is done on the job, how it is done, why

5. _________ Multiple Burden
it is done, and the skills involved in doing it.

6. _________ Training F. quality participation in decision-making

7. _________ Job description G. shared parenting

8. _________ Job Analysis H. freedom from harassment

9. _________ Trainee I. equal pay for work of equal value

10. _________ Trainor J. development is for all

 ANSWER KEY 3.3

1. F

2. I

3. J

4. H

5. G

6. B

7. E

8. D

9. C

10. A