Unit 4222-264 The Principles of infection prevention and control (IC 01) Outcome 1 – Understand roles and responsibilities in the prevention and control of infections. 1. Explain employees’ roles and responsibilities in relation to the prevention and control of infection. It is the responsibility of employees to ensure they attend all necessary training that the employers provide regarding infection control and prevention. If an employee comes across a hazard such as bodily fluids spilt in an area or a staff member not wearing gloves you must report it immediately to a senior staff member and not ignore it as this may cause infection to spread. In the workplace employees need to put these safe ways of working into practice; for …show more content…
1. Outline current legislation and regulatory body standards which are relevant to the prevention and control of infection. There are laws and legal regulations about infection prevention and control. Most of the legal regulations relating to infection prevention and control come under the Health and Safety at Work Act; this act is about ensuring a safe work place for employers, employees and members of the public by minimising accidents at work. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations introduced the need for monitoring health and safety and risk assessment; including infection prevention and control. The Food Safety Act was brought in to ensure safe practices for food to avoid contamination and spreading of infection and includes handling, storing and disposal of food. Legal regulations that come under HASAWA include The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), this is relevant as it is about the prevention and control of pathogens and managing the safe storage and use of hazardous substances. Reporting of Injury, Disease and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) is relevant as it requires that any infection or disease that is work related be recorded and reported. There are regulatory bodies such as the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the Food
and Health Act of 1970, which ensures that there are national health and safety standards which are
Weston, D., & Ebrary. (2008). Infection prevention and control: Theory and clinical practice for healthcare professionals. Hoboken, NJ;Chichester, England;: John Wiley & Sons.
Infection Control, ‘To ensure that there is an active, effective, institution-wide infection control program that
of this policy is to reduce the risk of infection transmission both to and from
Describe the role of CDC and the WHO in identifying healthcare associated infections, how if any are these
“About 75,000 patients with Hospital-Acquired Infections died during their hospitalizations” USA Hospitals 2011 (cdc.gov). Cross infection is the transfer of harmful organisms, such as bacteria or virus, from one source to another. A hospital-acquired Infection, also known as a nosocomial infection, is a cross infection within a hospital setting (cdc.gov). The spread of an infection can occur between people and equipment. Interacting with a disease patient and handling him/ her without the proper equipment and procedures can spread infection. Also, forgetting to cleanse or sterilize certain equipment or spaces can increase the risk of an infection. Hospital-acquired infections can cause many complications that can lead to acute or choric diseases and in extreme cases, death. To prevent hospital-acquired infections, nurses have to ensure equipment safety, follow given procedures, and educate their patients on hospital-acquired infections.
All employees are required to practice standard precautions. The monitoring of compliance of standard precautions is the responsibility of all members of the health care team including Environmental Services personnel.
In the U.S. we have regulatory requirements for almost every industry. In the healthcare safety and bio hazardous waste and materials is important to prevent other from being exposed to infectious diseases. However, in other countries cultural activities of daily living allows the patient to be put at risk for infection.
People who are employed within the medical field (doctors, nurses, emergency medical technicians, etc.) typically encounter bodily fluids and infectious materials on a daily basis. Additionally, those who work in law enforcement and people who clean crime scenes are regularly exposed. These individuals must know how to safely handle and dispose of bodily fluids and anything that may have come into contact with them. Other jobs where the risk is not prevalent but still present, such as retail, also generally require bloodborne pathogens training. Many companies offer instruction regardless of the chance of exposure to further protect employee safety.
It has been known for many years that most of the reported illnesses and injuries are claimed to be work related and therefore it became a legal requirement for an organisation, where five or more people are employed, to have a written Health and Safety policy statement in place, which is often governed by various legislations. The primary function of these legislations is to guide the employees on their responsibilities, shared with the employer, and to ensure the safeguarding of the health, safety and well being of workers and protection toward others, such as the public, and the outside environment that may be affected by the daily activities performed in the organisation. This essay will outline the key legislations covering health and safety management within a company comprising of microbiological containment laboratories, where the term 'containment ' refers to the way in which biological agents are handled in a laboratory setting in order to minimise the risk that they pose to humans and the environment.
Food contamination can come from many sources from production, to delivery, and all the way to your plate. In a factory, unsanitary equipment and inadequate sterilization during slaughter can lead to contamination; as well as unclean processing and packaging. In retail outlets, inadequate refrigeration can be an issue, and in restaurants poor hygiene habits of cooks and servers introduce risks for contamination. In order to prevent food contamination, there are federal departments responsible for food safety. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), is apart of the Department of Agriculture, and is responsible for meat and poultry. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is apart of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and is responsible for everything not covered by the FSIS. State public health agencies and city and country health departments also continuously monitor food safety.
Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) has been top on the political agenda and that of the National Health Service (NHS) in England for the last couple of years. According to Health Foundation, there has been a reduction in the MRSA and clostridium difficile infection (CDIFF) but other HCAIs are continuously growing (Health Foundation, 2015). A recent figure released by the public Health England showed that MRSA cases are up to 9% in the year 2015 outside the hospital and CDIFF also increased by 6% in same year (Butler, 2016). IPC remains the top priority of NHS in England.
Secondly, we have to prevent spread of infectious disease through evidence-based infection control, for instance, environmental arrangements, hand hygiene and using personal protective
A safe and ethical working environment is an absolute necessity, and in order for this to be achieved, strict guidance must be followed. ‘‘The Health and Safety Executive, with consent of the Secretary of State’’ (HSE, n.d.), have compiled approved codes of practice (ACOP’s) containing detailed advice for all organisations and workforces to follow.