IC01
IC01.1
1.1 Employees rights and responsibilities in the relation to the prevention and control of infection are to follow company’s policies and procedures, keep themselves safe and others, report any hazards which could lead to infection, attend relevant courses, use the PPE provided, keeping the work environment clean and tidy and to maintain good personal hygiene.
1.2 Employers responsibilities in the relation to the prevention and control of infection are to keep everybody safe and to provide a safe work place, they do this by following current legislation. Produce relevant risk assessments in order to reduce or eliminate infection risks, provide relevant training for employees as well as PPE (personal protective equipment), up to date policies and procedures, cleaning products and safe and secure storage for cleaning products.
IC01.2
2.1 Health and safety at work act 1974. Health and social care act 2008. The public health act 1984. Personal protective equipment regulations 1992. Controlled waste regulations 1992. Food safety act 1990.
2.2 Local and organisational policies relevant to the prevention and control of infection are The Public Health Act 1984, Social Care Act, the NICE guidelines and also the companies’ policies and procedures that relate to infection prevention and control.
IC01.3
3.1 Procedures and systems relevant to the prevention of control infection are - following company’s policies and procedures which relate to correct hand washing procedure, wearing correct PPE. For example gloves, aprons and protective clothing, the correct disposal of waste and using the correct cleaning equipment when cleaning spillages, surfaces and equipment.
3.2 The potential impact of an outbreak of infection on the organisation are: cost implication, staff sickness levels, reduction in patient and public confidence, not delivering regulatory standards. On the individual are: Increase time in recovery, secondary conditions or further complications, potential death, loss of trust in organisation.
IC01.4
4.1 The word risk means an exposure to danger.
4.2 Potential risks of infection are: Airborne infections through coughs and sneezes. Contaminated equipment which is caused through not washing hands. Skin to skin contact which is a transfer of germs from your hand to someone else’s. Transfer of body fluids which can be caused by cleaning up faeces or urine without using any PPE and/or washing your hands afterwards. Food poisoning which can be caused by keeping food at the wrong temperature and not following cooking and storing instructions. Can also be caused by out of date food.
4.3 The process of carrying out a risk assessment is to identify the hazards associated with the task or activity. Decide who might be harmed and how. Evaluate the risks and decide on a precaution. Record findings and put them into practice. Review the assessment and update it if necessary.
4.4 The importance of carrying out a risk assessment is to create awareness of hazards and risks. Identify who may be at risk. To determine if current control measures and information are adequate enough or if more should be done. Prioritize hazards and control measures.
IC01.5
5.1 Have the responsibility to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) appropriately to avoid contamination as much as possible.
5.2 Different types of PPE are: Gloves, aprons, masks and hand gel.
5.3 The reasons for the use of PPE are: PPE reduces the risk of acquiring or spreading infection.
5.4 Current regulations and legislation relating to PPE are: The Personal Protective Equipment regulations 2002 and the Personal Protective Equipment at work regulations 1992.
5.5 The employees’ responsibilities regarding the use of PPE are: to ensure that they take reasonable care to protect their own health and safety and that of their co-workers and the individual and other persons in or near the workplace. Report to management any hazardous or potentially hazardous