Infection Prevention & Control Week: October 16-20, 2017
Infection Prevention and Control – It’s a Team Thing!
Infection Control Week originated in 1988 to highlight infection control efforts in Canadian hospitals, long-term care facilities and in the community.
In Ontario, more than 500,000 people work in the health care sector. This includes more than 6,000 hospitals, long-term care homes, retirement homes, community care and other workplaces. (Ministry of Labour) Due to the nature of the work they do and the people they treat, health care workers are definitely at an increased risk. [1]
However, all workplaces should be aware of infection prevention and control practices. Anyone who works in an enclosed environment where people are working and interacting in close proximity to each other are also at a higher risk of spreading germs.
Teach proper hand washing skills.
In addition to posters at the sink, hold an interactive event to teach employees how to properly wash their hands. Identify the most commonly missed areas. Have participants check how well they have washed their hands using glow in the dark powders and solutions, available from various companies (try searching Glo Germ or Glitter Germ). Alternatively, you could have them put on gloves and ‘wash’ their hands with paint. This experiential learning will help them see which areas they missed. Also, check out these fun videos you can share about hand washing.
Cough correctly.
Another learning opportunity for your employees is respiratory etiquette. Demonstrate how to cough into one’s sleeve instead of into the hands. Demonstrate coughing into a tissue followed by discarding the tissue into a waste basket and using alcohol based hand rub.
Vaccinations – get a flu shot!
Immunization protects individuals and communities by preventing the spread of disease. As more people are immunized, the disease risk for everyone is reduced. Vaccines work. Period. Here’s a list of diseases that can be prevented by routine vaccination:
- Influenza
- Diphtheria
- Hep A, B
- Herpes zoster (shingles)
- HPV
- Measles
- Meningococcal disease
- Pertussis (whooping cough)
- Pneumococcal disease
- Polio
- Rotavirus
- Rubella
- Tetanus
If you’re interested in setting up a Vaccine Preventable Disease program for your company, you can read more here or give us a call anytime!
Stay Home
Sixty-four per cent of Canadians go to work when they’re sick or send their kids to school if they’re sick too, according to Bhavika Prajapati, a pharmacist and owner of two Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacies. “When you do that, you’re spreading germs and amplifying sickness,” she warned. [3]
Blood Born Pathogen Training
Bloodborne pathogens are microorganisms that cause disease and are present in human blood. Exposures to blood and other body fluids occur across a wide variety of occupations. Health care workers, emergency response and public safety personnel, and other workers can be exposed to blood through needlestick and other sharps injuries, mucous membrane, and skin exposures. Occupations at risk should have an established exposure control plan established for their worksite. [2] We can help with this too!
Use protective barriers such as gloves, gowns and masks. Take care around needles and sharps and dispose of them properly. Properly label, handle and dispose of any waste that has come into contact with blood.
Sources:
[1] https://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/sawo/pubs/fs_infectionprevention.php
[2] https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/bloodbornepathogens/index.html
[3] https://globalnews.ca/news/3157670/flu-season-signs-youre-too-sick-and-should-stay-home/