Health and Community Services Module

Transmission of Disease

Within the health and community services industry, transmission of disease can be a hazard. It is important that you follow appropriate procedures to ensure your own safety and the safety of others both in the work place and the wider community.

Employees who have direct contact with infectious people, faecal material and blood or other body fluids are at increased risk. This includes child care employees, nurses, health care employees in hospitals and community facilities for people with disabilities and special needs, laboratory employees who process biological specimens, sewerage employees and plumbers. Employees working in areas where infectious diseases are more likely to be present, such as those where hygiene and sanitation facilities are poor, may be at a greater risk.

Employees in the health and community services industry often care for people with infectious diseases and may have direct contact with blood and other body fluids. Therefore, cleanliness and hygiene are very important to prevent the risk of disease and infection spreading to employees and others.

Cleanliness and Hygiene

Note: Students on work experience must not clean contaminated waste, or be exposed to contaminated fluids. This information is designed to give students an understanding of the hazard and some of its risk control measures.

Your employer must make sure you are trained in safe work procedures for cleaning and disinfecting. This also includes using 'barriers' such as gloves. As a general rule, you should clean areas thoroughly with water and detergent, using a disposable cloth. After all visible soiling has been removed, follow work place procedures and, where appropriate, wipe over surfaces with a clean, disposable cloth saturated with hypochlorite 0.5% and allow to dry.

In the event of being exposed to blood or other body fluids from a needle stick injury or a splash onto a mucous membrane, you should take the following action:

promptly wash away the blood or body fluid
encourage bleeding if there is a wound, and wash thoroughly again
use appropriate anti-bacterial wash (except for your eyes and mouth, which should be rinsed thoroughly with water), and
report the incident to your employer.

Counselling may be offered to you if you have been exposed to blood or other body fluids, and you may be advised to be tested for infection.

Linen soiled with blood, other body fluids or excreta should be placed in a separate bag marked for 'foul' linen and then put into the usual linen bag. The hot washing method used for 'foul' linen destroys infectious diseases in the linen.

Standard Precautions

Standard precautions are work practices that should be used at all times to reduce the risk of infection from blood and other body fluids. Standard precautions essentially involve treating all blood and other body fluids as if they are infectious. They include using good hygiene practices, using protective barriers such as gloves, and appropriately handling and disposing of sharps and other contaminated or infectious waste.

For transmission of blood borne diseases to occur, the blood or other body fluid of an infected person must enter the body through broken skin or mucous membranes of the eyes, nose or mouth. Using standard precautions and being aware of the condition of the skin (e.g. any cuts) will reduce the risk of infection.

Practical Hygiene Steps

To ensure your safety and the safety of others, your employer should make sure you are trained to follow practical hygiene steps, such as:

washing your hands between contact with patients or residents, and before eating or drinking
wearing gloves where there may be a risk of exposure to blood or other body fluids, as gloves greatly reduce the risk of your hands being contaminated with infected fluid
washing your hands immediately after removing gloves
discarding gloves contaminated with blood or other body fluids after treating each patient or resident, and put on a new pair - wearing gloves does not prevent cross-infection
when clothing is likely to be soiled with blood or any body fluid, wearing a waterproof apron or gown
wearing a mask and protective eye wear in situations where your eyes, nose or mouth are likely to be exposed to splashed or sprayed blood or other body fluid, e.g. dental and surgical procedures and cleaning soiled equipment, and
cover cuts or abrasions on exposed parts of the body with waterproof dressings at all times while on duty.

Key Point
Your employer must provide suitable personal protective equipment and clothing, such as gloves, face masks, safety glasses, aprons and gowns, and train you in how to correctly store and use it.