Hand Hygiene and Standard Precautions Procedure

Purpose. This procedure describes how every worker performs hand hygiene, selects and uses personal protective equipment, handles sharps and manages spills so that standard precautions are applied to every patient contact.

1.Scope

This procedure applies to every staff member, student and contractor in any Lakeside clinical or patient-facing area, including reception, the pharmacy counter and the allied health gym.

2.The five moments

Hand hygiene must be performed before touching a patient, before a procedure, after a procedure or body fluid exposure risk, after touching a patient and after touching the patient's surroundings. Alcohol-based hand rub is the preferred method unless hands are visibly soiled, after contact with a patient with a gastrointestinal illness or after using the toilet, when soap and water must be used.

3.Technique

Apply enough rub to cover all surfaces of both hands and rub for 20 to 30 seconds until dry. For soap and water, wet hands, apply soap, wash for 40 to 60 seconds covering palms, backs, between fingers, thumbs and fingertips, rinse and dry with a single-use towel. Nails must be short and clean, and jewellery other than a plain band must not be worn in clinical areas.

4.Personal protective equipment

Select protective equipment for the task: gloves for contact with blood, body fluids, mucous membranes or non-intact skin; a fluid-resistant gown or apron where splashing is likely; a surgical mask and eye protection for procedures that generate splashes or droplets; and a particulate respirator for airborne precautions. Put on and take off equipment in the correct order and perform hand hygiene after removal.

• Gloves are single use and never replace hand hygiene
• Change gloves between patients and between dirty and clean tasks
• Remove gloves before touching keyboards, phones or door handles
• Dispose of protective equipment in the clinical waste bin

5.Sharps

The person who uses a sharp must dispose of it immediately into an approved sharps container at the point of use. Needles must never be recapped, bent or passed hand to hand. Containers must be sealed and replaced when three-quarters full.

6.Spills and exposures

Blood and body fluid spills must be contained with the spill kit, cleaned with detergent and then disinfected, wearing gloves and eye protection. Any needlestick, splash to the eyes or mouth, or contact with broken skin must be washed immediately, reported to the supervisor and recorded in the incident register, and the exposed person must be seen by a general practitioner the same day.