An infectious disease policy outlines the duty of care of a workplace to provide and maintain a healthy and safe environment for all staff, and to minimise the risk of anyone in the workplace contracting an infectious disease.
Infectious diseases can be airborne, such as meningitis or tuberculosis, blood borne, such as HIV or Hepatitis and faecal-oral borne such as gastroenteritis.
The Australian Commonwealth Government documents a national code of practice for the control of work-related exposure to infectious diseases. The code is designed for the purpose of advising employers and workers of acceptable preventative action for averting occupational deaths, injuries and diseases in relation to the exposure of air borne or blood borne infections.
Comprehensive infectious disease policies should document practice controls that are used to prevent or minimise employers and employees exposure to the transmission of infectious diseases, particularly blood borne or air borne pathogens. These are listed below:
- standard workplace practices: washing hands, cleaning up spills, sterilising shared kitchen utensils, wearing protective clothing, disposing of contaminated waste appropriately and reporting exposure incidents
- immunisation/vaccinations: the national health and medical research council immunisation handbook specifies work situations for which HBV vaccination is recommended including; staff involved in patient care, staff working in correctional facilities, police and staff frequently travelling overseas
- first aid policies: use sterile gloves, remove clothing contaminated with blood, use masks for mouth to mouth resuscitation, use plastic apron or gown and use mouthwash.
(World Health Organisation 2007; National Occupational Health and Safety Commission 2003)
Products
- hygienic protective equipment and clothing:
- gloves: used for first aid and patient care they should be vinyl, latex or nitrile material, sterile and non-reusable. Minimise opportunity for touch contamination by avoiding unnecessarily touching surfaces with contaminated gloves
- face mask: fully cover the mouth and nose and prevent fluid penetration
- gowns/aprons: fully fit over the torso, long sleeved, cotton or
- spun-synthetic material, fluid resistant if required
- respirator masks (http://www.jobaccess.gov.au/JOAC/Advice/ProductOrSolutionThree/Respirator_masks.htm): particulate respirator, half or full faced elastometric ventilator or powered air purifying respirator
- goggles: fit snugly around the eyes, personal glasses should not substitute goggles, anti-fog feature if required
- sequence for removing personal protective equipment: gloves, face shield/goggles, gown, mask/respirator
- perform hand hygiene immediately after removing personal protective equipment.
(Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (no date specified))
References
World Health Organisation 2007, Health Topics – Infectious Disease, World Health Organisation, Geneva, viewed 15 October 2007, <http://www.who.int/en/>.
National Occupational Health and Safety Commission 2003, National Code of Practice for the Control of Work-related Exposure to Hepatitis and HIV (Blood-borne) Viruses, 2nd edn, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, viewed 15 October 2007, <http://www.ascc.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/14850412-BF2D-4E22-B4F7-076CBD4383F6/0/HIV_2Ed_2003.pdf>.
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (no date specified), Guidance for the Selection and Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in Healthcare Settings, Department for Health and Human Services, Atlanta, viewed 15 October 2007, <http:// www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/pdf/ppe/PPEslides6-29-04.pdf>.
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