Transcript Departmental Safety Representative (DSR

Departmental Safety Representative
(DSR) Session:
Infection Control
A presentation for all employees who could come
into contact with infectious micro-organisms at
work
Who is the audience for this
presentation?
• EVERYONE! The basic info included in this
presentation can help employees be better
prepared to prevent the spread of infection in the
community as well as at work (e.g. pandemic flu).
• Workers in day care centers, laboratories, facilities
services, patient care areas, animal care areas,
food service, and student housing are extremely
high-risk!
What do we mean by Infection
Control?
• It means preventing or controlling the
spread of germs or infections at a facility or
institution.
• Infections acquired in a hospital are called
nosocomial infections.
Infection Control
• You can deal with the risks from infection at work
in the same way as any other health and safety
issue by:
– identifying the hazards
– assessing the risks
– controlling the risks
• Consider whether you put others at risk of
infection (e.g. employees picking up infections
from coworkers ).
• Please don’t report to work if you are sick!
Why is Infection Control Important?
• Infections can increase health-care costs and
cause inconvenience, pain, or even death.
• You may be exposed to germs that can
make you sick and possibly keep you out of
work.
• You could also spread illness to your family
and friends.
• YOU are a major factor in preventing the
spread of infections to others!
How are infections spread?
• The chain of infection has 5 links.
– A micro-organism (pathogen) that can cause
disease
– A person who carries the microorganism
– A way from the carrier, such as sneezing,
coughing, shedding skin, etc. and a method of
traveling
– A way to enter another person
– A susceptible person who can’t fight off the
germ
Chain of Infection
Infection Control = Break any link in the chain
Modes of Transmission for Infection
• A common way people get infections is
by rubbing their nose or their eyes after
their hands have been contaminated
with the pathogen.
• You can also spread germs directly to
others or onto surfaces that other people
touch. And before you know it,
everybody around you is getting sick.
How do you prevent the
spread of germs?
Handwashing
• Recognized as the best way of stopping the
spread of organisms
• Waterless hand washing liquid or gel when
sinks are not available
• Soap and water
– No indication for antimicrobial soap
– 10-15 seconds of lathering
• Towelettes
– Must be alcohol based if used for hand
hygiene
Handwashing
• Studies have shown that healthcare personnel
hands are the most common transmitters of
disease in healthcare facilities.
• Once your hands are soiled/contaminated, germs
can enter your body if:
– You touch the mucous membranes of your mouth, eyes
or nose
– You have open cuts, nicks or abrasions on your skin
such as dermatitis or acne.
Why Handwashing is Difficult
Areas Most
Frequently Missed
HAHS © 1999
When to wash hands:
• Before eating, drinking, smoking, applying
makeup or handling contact lenses
• After eating, smoking, coughing, sneezing
or using the bathroom
Effective Handwashing
1. Lather hands with soap and water.
2. Vigorously rub together all surfaces of lathered
hands for 10 to 15 seconds.
3. Rinse hands thoroughly under a stream of water.
4. Dry hands completely with a clean, dry paper
towel.
5. Avoid splashing or touching the sink.
6. Use a dry paper towel to turn off the faucet.
Respiratory Etiquette
• Cover nose and mouth with a tissue when
coughing or sneezing. Dispose of used
tissue in the nearest waste receptacle.
• Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not
your uncovered hands.
• Clean hands with soap and water after
touching respiratory secretions or handling
contaminated objects.
Standard Precautions
• Guidelines to decrease the risk of occupational
exposure to blood or body fluids
• A system of infection control which assumes that
every direct contact with body fluids is infectious
and requires every employee exposed to direct
contact with body fluids to be protected as though
such body fluids were infected with a bloodborne
pathogen
• Provides adequate protection against bloodborne
infections from both humans and animals
Sharps Disposal
• OSHA requires needleless systems and safer
needle devices in high-risk areas in the
Bloodborne Pathogens Standard
• Immediate and proper disposal of sharps into
puncture resistant containers is imperative.
• To prevent needlesticks, do not bend, remove or
recap.
• Carefully put contaminated items in the correct
containers for disposal.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Wear gloves when likely to touch body
fluids, mucous membranes, or items
potentially contaminated with blood/body
fluids.
• Wear protective eyewear/mask if procedure
releases droplets into air.
• Wear gown/apron as needed if splashing
may soil clothing/uniform.
• Change gloves between procedures.
Waste Disposal
• Properly handle, bag and label infectious
material before transport.
• Infectious waste includes but is not limited
to microbiological lab waste, pathology
waste, sharps devices, and blood/body
fluids.
Sanitation
• Decontamination methods include cleaning,
disinfecting and sterilizing. Clean up
infectious spills immediately.
• Wear gloves. Report spills to the Office of
Environmental Health and Safety at
(504)988-5486.
• Disinfect all work surfaces when work is
finished.
Laundry/Linen
• Use special care with laundry. Don’t shake
soiled linen. Roll edges toward center, place
in appropriate bags.
• Transport carefully.
Summary
• Get immunizations that are required or
recommended.
• Have periodic testing as required or recommended
for tuberculosis, Hepatitis B and other infections.
• Maintain good health with a balanced diet, plenty
of sleep, and regular exercise.
• Report any infectious illness, such as a cold, flu,
or infected cut to your supervisor.
• Don’t report to work if you are sick.
Tulane University
Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Please contact the BBP Coordinator for questions, comments,
and/or interactive discussion.
Kellie C. Mayer
(504-419-1391) [email protected]
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