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Infection Prevention & Control Workbook - Mental Health Cleaning Staff
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Infection Prevention & Control Workbook - Cleaning Staff Introduction
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Many organisations in health & social care carry out audits to assess standards for IP&C.
Infection prevention and control (IP&C) is an important part of caring for patients. If patients catch infections whilst receiving care, this could lead to them becoming very ill. As cleaners, your job of maintaining a clean environment is an essential part of infection prevention and control. Section 1 below explains how cross infection can happen and what we can do to prevent this. The remaining sections provide more details on prevention of cross-infection. At the end of this workbook there are some posters you can use.
This may include audits of environmental cleanliness. This is normal and is good practice. It should not be seen as a negative thing but is done to ensure everything is as it should be and working well. Cleaning staff often go with the auditor to assess standards which is good practice.
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Your health is important. You will read in Section 7 about the importance of keeping your hands clean as you do your work. You will also read about certain vaccinations that might be required to keep you healthy depending on the types of activities you do. You must remember that you could bring infections into work which may spread to colleagues or patients. In particular you should seek advice before coming to work if you have:Undiagnosed skin rashes Some infections often seen in childhood such as Measles and Chicken Pox can be dangerous for some people including pregnant women
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Diarrhoea and Vomiting illness. You should stay away from work until you have been clear of symptoms for 48 hours. If you become ill at work, you should go home.
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Infection Prevention & Control Workbook - Cleaning Staff Title
Section
Infection Prevention & Control: What is infection prevention and control (IPC)? Environmental Cleaning
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
E L P
M A X Spillages
Personal Protective Equipment (Protective Clothing)
E C
Waste Disposal
Sharps Handling Hand Hygiene Quiz
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Section 1
Infection Prevention & Control: What is infection prevention and control (IPC)?
E L P
What is infection prevention and control (IPC)?
already ill, they can catch infections more easily and their illness can get worse. This is why IPC is so important.
IPC is the prevention of the spread of infections in health and care facilities and practice: • • •
From patient to patient From staff to patient Between staff
To catch an infection, someone has to come into contact with a large number of germs. Therefore they need to grow. Just like plants, in order to grow, germs need certain things, such as moisture and food. Proper cleaning can remove germs from the environment before they are able to do this.
M A X
How do germs spread?
Staff can include everyone, not just clinical staff.
What are infections?
The Chain of Infection on the following pages shows how germs spread.
Infections are caused when small organisms known as germs are able to enter people’s bodies and then grow. Most germs that cause disease are either bacteria or viruses.
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Where do germs live?
Germs are found everywhere. Many germs do not cause infections, but live harmlessly in the environment or on us. The germs that live on us are called our normal flora and can help us in a number of ways. Other germs called pathogens can cause diseases if they enter our bodies. If people are
Info Box
Normal Flora
These are germs that live on and inside our bodies. The normal flora on our skin and other parts of our bodies such as the mouth and nose help to protect us against some disease causing germs. The normal flora in our guts helps us to digest food.
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