Wednesday 3 July 2013

Universal Precautions

Universal precautions


 Looking at the people around us, including adults and children at our schools,
                 it is impossible to tell most of the time who might be infected with a transferable
                 virus, such as HIV or one of the hepatitis viruses. Because we can’t know, it is
                 important to protect ourselves from a possible infection when coming in contact 
                 with feces, blood, saliva, mucous, urine, semen, vaginal fluids and any other body 
                 fluid containing blood. Using universal precautions  will also protect us from the 
                 more common viruses such as the cold or flu virus.

The Ontario Secondary School Teacher’s Federation, which is the union representing Educational Assistants, has the following guidelines available that it’s members should follow to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases.


  1. Education
-        Know the guidelines
-        Know the proper procedures needed to follow the guidelines
-        Training should be available by the school boards for all of their employees

  1. Hand washing








          
Washing your hands correctly, frequently and especially after coming in contact with a bodily fluid is very important in preventing transmission and should not be underestimated.   

           





  1. Use of protective barriers (Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
-        Used to create a barrier between yourself and bacteria and viruses in the environment
-        Use gloves when assisting a child with toileting or personal hygiene or when cleaning 
         up bodily fluids such as blood, vomit, urine or feces
-        Use eye goggles and  face masks when your face could be splattered with a bodily 
         fluid,  including blood
-        Wear gowns, lab coats or aprons to protect your clothing from becoming soiled or 
         contaminated
-        Ensure that any first aid kit includes protective equipment


How to take off gloves correctly:



  1. Cleaning of contaminated surfaces
-        Use approved germicidal cleaning products or common household bleach used in 
         the proper strength (eg. 1 in 100 solution)

  1. Safe handling/disposal of contaminated material
-        Know how to safely dispose of contaminated waste at your school or other places
         of employment.
-        Make sure a specially marked garbage can is available and make sure it does
         not get so full that you find yourself pushing the waste down into it to make it fit.
-        Special ‘sharps’ containers must be available to dispose of needles or broken glass.
-        Know where this waste must go and who is responsible for emptying the containers


Take  responsibility for your own health and safety!

By following these guidelines, you can protect yourself. If there is still a chance
                that you have come in contact with a bodily product, make sure you report this
                to your supervisor or the principal of your school.



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6 comments:

  1. Alison7 July 2013 at 20:58

    A song that I sing with my kids...
    Wash was wash your hands
    wash them every day
    use the water
    use the soap
    wash the germs away.

    Sing it to the tune of row row row your boat and keep repeating.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown9 July 2013 at 22:43

      Hi Alison, Thanks for the tune, I have never heard this one before. Love it! I think this is a song I will remember!
      Laurie

      Delete
    2. Krista10 July 2013 at 16:25

      This is more fun than the suggested Happy Birthday or alphabet song...as long as you can get them to repeat it enough times!

      Delete
  2. Jantine9 July 2013 at 14:27

    These guidelines do not mention the use of sanitizer to wash hands. According to the hand hygiene policy at my work, using hand sanitizer in stead of soap is preferred unless your hands are visibly dirty. Small personal size hand sanitizers can be carried along in your pocket or attached to your belt with a clip. A pair of gloves can also be easily carried along in your pocket.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Krista10 July 2013 at 16:24

      Interesting Jantine. I had heard the opposite! Only use hand sanitizer as a necessity when soap and water were not available as they were better at deep cleaning....when I worked in the food industry (I trained people in safe food handling), we taught workers how to wash their hands properly, then showed them how effective they were using the black light. I'm thinking with the sanitizer, people wouldn't be as thorough around the fingernails as they may (hopefully) be with soap and water.

      Delete
  3. Jantine11 July 2013 at 09:44

    You're supposed to use the same technique for the same length of time, scrub it all over including your finger nails. I guess the idea is that the sanitizer will kill the germs with chemicals while scrubbing with soap and water is supposed to get rid of them by friction.

    ReplyDelete

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