COMMUNITY CARE TRUST (SOUTH DEVON) LTD
INFECTION CONTROL
POLICY No CCT038
DEFINITION
This Trust understands infection control to be the name given to a wide range of policies,
procedures and techniques intended to prevent the spread of infectious diseases
amongst staff, people using the services and communities. All staff are at risk of
infection or of spreading infection, especially if their role brings them into contact with
blood or bodily fluids like urine, faeces, vomit or sputum. Such substances may well
contain pathogens which can be spread if staff do not take adequate precautions.
COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
Communicable diseases refer to a range of diseases that can be spread due to poor
infection control techniques or standards. Examples of such diseases include:
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Hepatitis
Tuberculosis
MRSA
Food poisoning through organisms such as salmonella
Legionnaire’s disease
AIDS
E Coli.
Communicable diseases are the responsibility of Public Health and are managed by
local consultants in communicable disease control. The Public Health Infectious
Diseases Regulations 1988 place a duty on employers to adopt safe practices to
prevent the spread of infection (especially blood-borne infection) and organisations may
be liable for prosecution and for paying compensation if they do not comply.
POLICY STATEMENT
This Trust believes that every person has the right to live their life with privacy, dignity,
independence and choice and to be free from threat. The Trust will work in collaboration
with all local infection control agencies to uphold this right and to ensure that the people
who use our services are protected from the spread of infection at all times.
This Trust believes that adherence to strict guidelines on infection control is of
paramount importance in ensuring the safety of both people who use services and staff.
It also believes that good, basic hygiene is the most powerful weapon against infection,
particularly with respect to cleaning and hand washing.
AIM OF THE POLICY
This policy is intended to set out the values, principles and policies underpinning this
Trust’s approach to infection control. The aim is to prevent the spread of infection
amongst staff, people using the services and the local community.
The policy aims to meet the Department of Health guidance within the ‘Code of Practice
on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance’.
THE HANDLING AND DISPOSAL OF CLINICAL AND SOILED WASTE
All clinical waste should be disposed of in sealed yellow plastic sacks and each sack
should be clearly labelled with the unit details. Non-clinical waste should be disposed of
in normal black plastic bags. When no more than three-quarters full, yellow sacks
should be sealed and stored safely to await collection by an authorised collector. Yellow
bags should only be used in pedal type bins.
THE USE OF PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
Gloves and disposable aprons are provided for staff who are at risk of coming into direct
contact with body fluids.
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Sterile gloves are provided for clinical procedures such as applying dressings.
On no account should staff attempt to wash and reuse the gloves.
Non-sterile gloves are provided for washing dirty or used instruments, clearing up
blood or bodily fluids and for handling disinfectants.
Any member of staff who suspects that they might be suffering from an allergic reaction
to the latex gloves provided should stop using them immediately and inform their doctor.
THE HANDLING AND STORING OF SPECIMENS
Sharps – typically needles, blades and broken ampoules – should be disposed of in
proper purpose-built sharps disposal containers complying with BS7320.
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Staff should never re-sheath needles.
Boxes should never be overfilled.
When full, boxes should be sealed, marked as hazardous waste and clearly
labelled with the unit details.
Sharps boxes must always be placed out of the way of people using the service,
especially from children who may be attracted by the bright colours.
Used, filled boxes should be stored securely until collected for incineration.
In the event of an injury with a used or potentially contaminated needle, staff should:
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Wash the area immediately and encourage bleeding if the skin is broken.
Report to the home manager immediately and fill in an incident form.
Report immediately to a GP, Occupational Health Department or, if none are
available, A&E.
The goals are to ensure that:
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People who use services and CCT staff are as safe as possible from acquiring
infections.
All staff are aware of, and put into practice, the basic principles of infection
control.
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS AND STATUTORY GUIDANCE
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The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the Public Health Infectious
Diseases Regulations 1988 both place a duty on the Trust to prevent the spread
of infection.
The Reporting of Incidents, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations
1995 (RIDDOR) places a duty on the Trust to report outbreaks of certain
diseases as well as accidents such as needle-stick accidents.
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1999(COSHH)
places a duty on the Trust to ensure that potentially infectious materials are
identified as hazards and dealt with accordingly.
The Environmental Protection Act 1990 makes it the responsibility of the Trust to
dispose of clinical waste safely.
EFFECTIVE HAND WASHING
Hand washing is the single most important method of preventing the spread of infection.
ALL STAFF should ensure that their hands are thoroughly washed and dried:
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Between seeing each person where direct clinical contact is involved.
After handling any body fluids or waste or soiled items.
After handling specimens.
After using the toilet.
Before handling foodstuffs.
Hands should be washed according to the guidelines posted by each sink. Liquid soaps
and disposable paper towels should be used rather than bar soaps and fabric towels.
Antiseptic hand washing solutions should be used only in situations where hand washing
is not possible. They are not for general use.
All cuts and abrasions, particularly on the hands, should be covered with waterproof
dressings at all times.
CLEANING AND PROCEDURES FOR THE CLEANING OF SPILLAGES
All staff have a responsibility to help keep the home clean and tidy and to identify areas
which fall below acceptable or safe standards.
Staff should treat every spillage of body fluids or body waste as quickly as possible and
as potentially infectious. They should wear protective gloves and aprons and use
disposable wipes wherever possible. Eye protection should also be used if there is risk
of splashing.
For a spillage of blood or body fluids, a 10,000 hypochlorite solution should be used.
Staff should:
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Put on disposable gloves and apron
Prepare the hypochlorite solution
Cover the spillage with paper towels
Carefully wipe up the spillage with more towels soaked in hypochlorite
Dispose of the waste in a yellow waste bag
Wash hands in soap and water
REPORTING
The Infection Prevention and Control Lead for the Community Care Trust will provide an
annual statement for each facility with a review of any:
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known outbreaks of infection
audits undertaken and subsequent actions
action taken following an outbreak of infection
risk assessments undertaken for prevention and control of infection
training received by staff
review and update of policies, procedures and guidance
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995
(RIDDOR) obliges the Trust to report the outbreak of notifiable diseases to the Health
and Safety Executive (HSE). Notifiable diseases include: cholera, food poisoning,
smallpox, typhus, dysentery, measles, meningitis, mumps, rabies, rubella, tetanus,
typhoid fever, viral haemorrhagic fever, hepatitis, whooping cough, leptospirosis,
tuberculosis and yellow fever.
Records of any such outbreak must be kept, specifying dates and times and a completed
disease report form must be sent to the HSE.
In the event of an outbreak incident, the service manager is responsible for informing the
HSE and the local health protection agency.
EMERGENCY CONTACTS
In the event of a suspected outbreak of an infectious disease, or information on health
protection or concerns about a health related problem, the local South West Peninsula
Health Protection Unit should be contacted.
(01803 861833 or 01726 627881)
ISOLATION
Isolation is the physical separation of one person from another, in order to prevent
spread of infection. Isolation is required when Standard Infection Control Precautions
(SICP) may not be enough to prevent cross infection. Advice should be sought from the
person’s GP or the local Health Protection Unit prior to placing a person in isolation.
If isolation is needed, a person’s own room should be used. Ideally the room should be a
single bedroom with en-suite facilities.
TRAINING
Infection control should be included in the induction training for all new staff. Inhouse
training sessions should be conducted at least annually and all relevant staff should
attend. Each unit has a nominated lead to monitor and review practice, and to ensure
that the required provisions are available and up to date. The nominated lead for each
unit will ensure they attend regular Devon PCT training for Infection Protection Control.
PROVISIONS
Each unit should have the following provisions:
1x Blood Spill Kit
1x Vomit Spill Kit
Both containing:
Anti-bacterial spray (bleach free)
Cat Litter
Clinical Waste Bags
Disposable Aprons
Disposable Cloths
Disposable Dust Masks
Disposable Gloves
Each Kit should be clearly marked ‘Do Not vacuum up any spills, this could lead to the
re-distribution of harmful particles’
A ‘Hand Hygiene’ poster, clearly displayed.
A bottle of sterile water for eye wash
Policies and Factsheets
Bite injuries (HPA guidelines)
Blood- borne viruses in the workplace (HSE)
Gastroenteritis guidance (HPA)
Hand Hygiene Policy (DPT)
Infection Control Guidance for Care Homes (DOH)
Infection Control Policy (DPT)
Infectious Disease Topics List (Fact sheets available to download from HPA website)
Inoculation Injury Policy (DPT)
Scabies (factsheet, HPA)
Standard Infection Control Precautions Policy (DPT)
The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (DOH)
Viral Gastroenteritis (Norovirus) outbreak guidance for nursing/residential homes in
Devon (HPA
CCT CONTACT
Should you require any further information please contact Sarah Mutch, Infection
Prevention and Control lead for the CCT.
E-mail: sarah.mutch@communitycaretrust.org
Tel: 01626 335560
Devon Health Protection Team
Tel: 01803 861833
Date of last review: April 2011
Version number:
03
Date of next review: April 2014
Signature ……………………………………..