Hand hygiene is the single most important method of preventing and controlling infection. The hands normally have a "resident" population of micro-organisms. Other micro-organisms are picked up during every-day activities, and these are termed "transient" organisms. Many infection control problems are caused by these transient organisms. Hand washing with soap & warm water should remove these transient organisms before they are transferred to surfaces, another patient or to a susceptible area on the same patient.
Risk Assessment Hazard: Possible injury from falls as a result of slips or trips/ infection from bodily fluid spillage: SIGNIFICANT HAZARD. As chair in surgery 2 leaks water from tray table and the filters leak bodily fluids from the spittoon and aspirator. Risk: In view of precautions: LOW RISK – if correct procedures are followed Current Precautions: * Clinical area fitted with easy wipe floor covering. * Furniture in the building is arranged so as to provide easy access without obstructions in order to minimise the possibility of trips and falls and also to help people with visual impairments and wheelchair users to navigate safely. * Clinical staff are issued with special PPE to help clear spillages * When filters from chair leak – floor is flooded with sodium hypochlorite 1% * All staff trained to maintain good housekeeping standards * Spills cleared up immediately Are current precautions effective : Yes, as there have currently been no accidents Problems and issues: The leak from the chair and the filters has caused the floor in surgery 2 to become a hazard because it causes a slip/trip risk & bodily fluids which are a source of infectious micro-organisms (bacteria,viruses and fungi) leak from the filters.
If I come across a hazard such as bodily fluids spilt in an area or a staff member not wearing gloves I must report it immediately to a senior staff member and not ignore it as this may cause infection to spread. If a resident has past urine or bodily waste on the floor a member of staff should still clean it up and wear an apron and gloves even if the resident doesn’t have a infection as urine and bodily waste contain lots of other things. In my workplace I need to put these safe ways of working into practice; for example by effective hand washing, not coming into work when you’re not feeling well allowing myself 48 hours after id had a sickness bug as I will be putting other staff residents and visitors at risk, by not wearing jewellery when do activities with the residents as jewellery carries many germs and infections, by always wearing protective clothing; wearing an apron and gloves for procedures will reduce the spread of infection by preventing infection passing on from me to others
(www.legislations.gov.uk, Accessed 04/10/13). Training cleaners on how to clean up after the previous patient properly and how the cups and plates should be put away, stops harm because if the cleaners had more training and cleaned up properly, there would be less infection being spread as there would be less bacteria around the ward. It also maintains the respect and dignity that should be provided for the patients that are cared for. If the recommendation was not reached, patients would be harmed by catching viruses and infection. In this case, if a patient in the ward was to catch one off these infections from dirty cups, it would be harder for them to recover due to them being elderly and having a lower immune system than someone that was young and healthy, so in some cases little infections like this from been given a dirty cup to drink from can sometimes lead to death.
Ventilation is also important to reduce fumes and smoke in the air so that a person’s health is not at risk. * Lighting is important for health and safety reasons in all work places, but especially a health and social care environment as people need to be able to see where objects are in a room so they don’t end up tripping and falling and causing themselves injury i.e. broken bones. 2. Hazards from equipment: Hazards from equipment in health and social care settings can include: * Untidiness – for example in hospitals, there is a lot of electrical equipment and so wires could become a tripping hazard on wards and could lead to serious injury i.e.
For example when assisting a service user to have a bath, shower or to use the toilet you must always wear the PPE (personal protective equipment) provided when removing any soiled clothing you must dispose of it in the correct way using the sluice bags that are provided and the sluice bags should be tided shut thus preventing any infection among other service users clothes. Any PPE used should be disposed of in the room you have used and before leaving that room employees must ensure they wash their hands using the correct hand washing method displayed. Another responsibility employees have is to prepare and maintain environment before and after patient care making sure all PPE is worn if there are any bodily fluids in the room i.e. on the floor sink etc this spiliage should be cleaned up immediately using the appropriate disinfectant cleaning products to prevent any infection spreading such as MRSA, C Diff and the norovirus. Q: 1.2 Explain employers’ respsonsibilitys in relation to the prevention and control of infection.
Untreated, the skin may darken and become leathery and cracked. Allergic contact dermatitis can be difficult to distinguish from other rashes, especially after it been present for a while. List practical steps which can be taken to avoid the condition: Occupational allergic contact dermatitis can be avoided by personal hygiene, engineering control methods, good housekeeping, and personal protection. Personal hygiene, including hand washing, is very important to prevent contact dermatitis, but workers should be aware that excessive hand washing with soap and detergents can also damage the skin. Engineering control methods involve the enclosure of processes to separate workers from the harmful substances they work with.
Infection- This is an invasion by and multiplication of pathogenic, micro-organisms in a bodily part or tissue which could cause harm. Infections can be spread with ease, poor practice is the main reason for spread of infection. Examples of poor practices are not washing your hands regularly, hand washing should be done thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, followed by hand-drying with a paper towel. Another example of poor practice is not covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze. You should always get vaccinated and always use safe methods of cooking and preparing food.
Outcome 1 1. Employees’ are responsible for adhering to the guidelines and statutory laws that are in application. This could constitute performing menial tasks such as washing hands thoroughly, disposing of waste products in the appropriate fashion, or more complex tasks like appropriate cleaning and dressing of wounds. They are also responsible not only for themselves but also other colleagues, visitors and patients. There are a range of roles were the prevention and control of infection apply, here are the ones that apply to my line of work; working with hazardous substances, working in an environment that exposes me to infection, working with people who are vulnerable to infection and working in a place that is a communal living area.
Can be spread by touch, coughs and colds, it is good practise to cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing and washing your hands after, disposing of any tissues in bins. It could also be prevented if residents do not share cutlery, cups or anything that may transfer infection to one another. Infection Control in your work place should be a part of everyday practice, and if followed to the correct procedure, can help to contain illnesses being spread. Diarrhoea, vomiting, coughs and colds are hard to contain in a nursing home because those residents who are mobile don't always understand that its in he interest of the home and the other residents that they are asked to stay in their rooms. Infections can also be transferred through visitors coming in to see their relatives.