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Infection and Communicable Diseases
POLICY:
It is the policy of Sunshine Farm to minimize occupational exposure to communicable disease or infection that spread through the following routes of transmission: (1) Direct contact as a result of close contact to skin and body secretions/fluids; (2) Indirect contact that occurs when organisms from an infected host are transmitted to a susceptible host via an inanimate object; (3) Droplet transmissions that occurs when infectious agents in droplets are expelled from respiratory secretions by coughing, sneezing, or talking; (4) Airborne spread that usually results from organisms spread from a distance of more than several feet between the source and the receiver.
All staff members who are exposed to potentially infectious materials as part of their duties are to be included in ongoing education and training. The Administrator will be responsible for ensuring that the organization’s exposure control plan is reviewed and updated annually, or whenever necessary to include new or modified information.
Standard/universal precautions will be always followed to ensure the prevention of the risk of further infection to others. Equipment and supplies required for appropriate precautionary prevention and response will be kept updated, inventoried, stored appropriately and accessible.
PROCEDURES:
A. Prevention
1.) All Sunshine Farm staff members will observe the rules of universal precautions. All potentially infectious materials shall be considered infectious regardless of the perceived status of the source individual. When differentiation between body fluid types is difficult to detect, all body fluids shall be considered potentially infectious materials.
2.) : Hand washing is the number one method of infection control. Hands shall be washed before and after all tasks involving potential exposure to pathogens. Hands will be washed when gloves are removed after performing each task that involves contact with body fluids, mucous membranes, or non-intact skin. Hand washing facilities are to be available in bathrooms in each building.
3.) Special care will be given to facility cleanliness. Bathrooms, lavatories, and eating areas must be disinfected at least daily.
B. In the event of a spill.
1.) All body fluid spills (regurgitation, diarrhea, urination, bleeding, sputum, etc.) will be cleaned promptly and the contaminated area disinfected. The area will be cleaned with a fresh solution of one (1) part bleach to ten (10) parts water.
2.) Laundry contaminated with potentially infectious materials will be handled as little as possible using gloves. Items will immediately be washed in hot water on the regular wash cycle and dried on the hot cycle. If the contaminated laundry is wet, it is to be placed in a plastic bag to prevent possible soak-through and/or leakage of fluids to the exterior. Gloves will be used to handle contaminated laundry, and handling will be kept to a minimum.
B Staff Training
1.) All staff members will be trained upon hire and annually thereafter in infections & communicable diseases. Persons served and other stakeholders will be trained where relevant. The training will contain the following elements:
a. The Infection Control Policy/Plan.
b. Procedures and events that might cause exposure.
c. Personal protective equipment, how it is used, where supplies are kept, and disposal methods.
d. Post-exposure evaluation and follow-up.
e. Signs and labels used.
2.) Training records will include the date, names of the persons attending, and the name of the person conducting the training. Sunshine Farm’s designated Health and Safety officer will conduct training, using handouts, discussion, and hands on training.
C Record Keeping
Confidentiality will be ensured at all times. Medical records are provided upon the request of the staff member, or anyone having written consent of the staff member within 15 working days.
D.) Identification
1.) An exposure incident is a specific eye, mouth, or other mucous membrane, non-intact skin contact, with blood or other potentially infectious materials, that results from a staff member’s duties.
2.) Any staff member who experiences an exposure incident will immediately report the incident to the Administrator, who will follow the incident reporting procedures contained in Sunshine Farm policy.
3.) If a staff member develops an illness that might be attributed to an exposure incident, a physician will evaluate each incident, and follow-up and treatment related to the exposure incident will be provided at no cost to the staff member.
E Documentation and Reporting
1.) If deemed necessary a Critical Incident Report will be completed within five days by the Administrator and submitted to Community Living British Columbia, kept on file to form part of the annual incident review, , and submitted to Interior Health.
Reviewed November 10, 2024
By Sher Alcock.