INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL IN HEALTH AND COMMUNITY CARE WORKPLACES
Welcome to another instalment of MOL Radio.
Today's health and safety segment will focus on infection prevention and control in health and community care workplaces. Specifically, we will be discussing infection prevention and control practices to protect workers from the risk of infection.
There are more than 500,000 workers in over 6,000 Ontario hospitals, long-term care homes, retirement homes, and other health and community care workplaces.
Health care workers face unique hazards, in addition to those typically found in other workplaces. Workers in health care may be at risk of infection from exposure to:
• Needle-stick injuries from the improper use and disposal of sharps.
• Blood or body fluids.
• Contaminated medical supplies and equipment.
• Poor hand hygiene practices.
To protect health care workers, employers must develop infection prevention and control practices and have proper maintenance of ventilation systems.
Workers must receive proper information, instruction and training to protect themselves from the risk of infection. And, the employer must ensure that there is adequate supervision and compliance with infection control practices.
At the entrance to a healthcare workplace, infection control practices may include signage, passive or active screening, and alcohol-based hand rub. Appropriate personal protective equipment such as gloves, gowns, eye or face protections, masks or respirators must be accessible to workers and be used when required.
When there's a risk of airborne infection, a fit tested N95 respirator must be worn. Workers required to wear N95 respirators, must be trained on the care, use and limitations of the respirator.
Employers must provide adequate hygiene facilities including, where appropriate, access to hand washing facilities and alcohol based hand rub. Workers should be trained about the importance of hand hygiene and how to perform hand hygiene.
Workers must be trained in the safe use, handling and disposal of safety-engineered needles. Inspection and maintenance of ventilation systems, environmental cleaning and disinfection, and the safe handling and disposal of infectious waste must be in place to protect workers.
When an employer learns that a worker is ill because of an exposure at a workplace, they must report it to the Ministry of Labour, the Joint Health and Safety Committee and trade union, if any, within four days.
The ministry's mandate is to ensure employers protect workers from exposures such as blood borne infection, influenza, and C. difficile.
It's important for everybody in the workplace to follow safe work practices. This way, we can build a culture of health and safety not only for workers but also residents, patients, or anyone else that visits the workplace.
For more information on health care workplace safety, go to the Ministry of Labour website at Ontario.ca - forward slash - health care - one word.
That's Ontario.ca - forward slash - health care - one word.
Thank you for listening to MOL Radio.