Infection Control & Environmental Safety Essay

Infection Control There are many routes by which infection can enter the body. For example infection can enter the body via blood, saliva, sexual, insect bites. If I wasn’t to wash my hands after using the toilet and went straight into preparing food this good causing infection to the people eating the food that I prepared, I could also have infected cuts and grazes on my hands which again if I didn’t was them I could pass on my infection. Elderly people find it a lot more difficult to fight infections therefore it is vitally important that we do everything we can to prevent infections. It is extremely important to wash your hand correctly when you work in a care setting environment. The most effective way of wash your hands are to firstly wet the hands with water. Apply enough soap and hand wash to cover all hand surfaces. Rub hands palm and palm. Right palm over the other hand with interlaced fingers and vice versa. Palm to palm with fingers interlaced. Backs of fingers to opposing palms with fingers interlocked. Rotational rubbing of left thumb clasped in right palm and vice versa. Rotational rubbing, backwards and forwards with clasped fingers of right hand in left palm and vice versa. Rinse hands with water. Dry hand thoroughly with a towel. Again it is also very important that we wear personal protective equipment when needed. For example if someone is covered in feces I must put on an apron and gloves to make sure that I keep any infection under control. Environmental Safety Fire Make sure a fire risk assessment of the building has been done buy a specialist. Also make sure that all safe have had fire prevention training. Good housekeeping making sure that everything is clean and tidy, so therefore nothing can set a light. Keep chemicals in fire proof cabinets. If there was a fire in the building the first thing to do is ring the fire brigade and set the fire alarm off so you can let everyone in the building know they have to evacuate. Secondly you would take up a zone, meaning a part of the building that you must check to make sure there is nobody in that area. You would then follow everyone else outside to a safe place until the fire brigade told you it was safe to go back in. Gas Leak Remove the gas element by making everything all electric. If this is not possible then gas safety training for all staff members. Makes sure that the gas is turned off at the mains when it is not being used. In the event of a gas leak. You would evacuate the building and open all the windows to ventilate the building. If you know where the mains supply is for the gas and electricity then go and turn them off and contact the emergency services. Floods Make sure that all tapes and showers are turned off once they are finished with. Do regular checks on pipes to make sure they are all stable. In the event of a flood make sure that everyone evacuates the flooded area straight away. Find out what is causing the flooding and then turn of the water supply. Then contact the emergency services. Intrusion Make sure that all rubbish that is in the bin are discarded of correctly. All food is stored away in the correct storage boxes. In the event of an intrusion, contact the council, who will then send of people to catch the pest that has got in. put rat killer down, however make sure that it is well away from the residents reach. Maybe even put rat traps down to eliminate them even more. Security Breach Make sure that everyone’s valuables are safe and accounted for. In the event of a security breach. If someone’s jewellary was to go missing, then we would have to inform the family of the residents that stuff is missing and if nothing was to come of it we would then inform the police.