Please view the information within this presentation to support you with the assessments.

1. Level 2 Principles of
Workplace Infection
Control

2. Course content:
This qualification is designed to make you aware how infection
control plays a key part in any workplace. Preventing illness
and infection is vitally important to protect staff, customers or
clients and ultimately to protect your business.
The qualification has one unit:
 Principles of infection control

3.  Learning Targets – Unit 1 Principles of infection control
Once you have completed the unit and activities you will:
• Know how infections are caused
• Understand how infections can spread
• Understand the “chain of infection”

4. Infections are caused by micro-organisms which we cannot
see when we come into contact with them. These micro-
organisms are around us all the time, on every surface and In
every environment.
There are two types of micro-organisms:
• Non-pathogenic micro-organisms,
which are friendly bacteria/beneficial to health
• Pathogenic micro-organisms,
which are harmful to health and cause disease

5. Bacteria
How we identify bacteria
• Bacteria are micro-organisms which have only one cell
but are able to divide themselves. This means they can
multiply very quickly

6. Viruses
How we identify viruses
• Viruses are smaller than bacterial cells but cannot multiply or
reproduce by themselves. A virus invades a host cell by infecting
it and it is the host cell which then divides and multiplies,
infecting and individual.

8. Fungi
How we identify fungi
• Fungi are found in the form of mould, yeasts, and
mushrooms, and are a form of parasite – they survive off
living and/or dead organic matter. Some are easily seen
with the naked eye as they develop and grow. Most fungi
require oxygen to thrive. Mushroom fungi and moulds are
multi-celled whereas yeasts are single celled.

9. Parasites
How we identify parasites
• Parasites live off hosts, and the host is therefore responsible for
the parasite’s survival. They grow and multiply within the host.

10. Infection and colonisation
• Colonisations are micro-bacterial organisms which can live on the surface of
the body but which do not necessarily cause disease. They may not harm their
host but can cause infections if transferred to those with weakened immune
systems.
• An infection and a colonisation differ in that an infection can affect the body
making the individual unwell whereas colonisation does not necessarily cause
illness.
• A localised infection is one which affects one area of the body (For example
an infected spot).
• A systemic infection is one which affects the whole body such as influenza
(flu) or chicken pox.

11. Poor hygiene practises that lead to the spread of infection

12. Poor hygiene practises that lead to the spread of infection
Inadequate Hand washing
Not using PPE
Poor Hygiene standards Inadequate cleaning
Reusing without disinfecting Lack of Training

13. Bacterial growth
In order to survive and multiply,
Bacteria need the right conditions

14. Bacterial growth
In order to survive and multiply,
Bacteria need the right conditions
Bacterial growth
In order to survive and multiply,
Bacteria need the right conditions
If we can remove one or more
elements from the circle we can slow
down the growth of bacteria

15. How an infective agent may enter the body
Infections enter the body by a number of routes where the micro-
organisms encounter the body’s natural defences (antibodies).
However, when these defences fail, the infection can take hold.

16. • Direct transmission occurs when an infected person comes into
direct contact with a non-infected person
• Indirect transmission occurs when an infective agent comes into
contact with an individual or other item

17. Key factors that make infection more likely to occur include:
• Having open wounds or sores (especially on the hands)
• Having a vulnerability/low immunity, e.g. Children, the elderly,
people already suffering health problems/conditions
• Poor hygiene – both personal and environmental
• Not wearing PPE or following procedures

18. The Chain of Infection
The chain of infection, if we think of it as an actual chain, is made up of six
different links. Each link has a unique role in the chain, and each can be
interrupted, or broken, through various means.

19. • The first link is the infectious agent or pathogen itself. This is
the disease-causing organism. For many illnesses and diseases
this is a virus or bacterium. In order to break this link, various
methods can be used, including the pasteurization of milk, the
chlorination of drinking water, or the use of disinfectants.
• The second link is the reservoir. This is the natural environment
that the pathogen requires for survival. Reservoirs can be a
person, an animal, or an environmental component, such as
soil or water. This link can be broken through medical
treatment and testing, or quarantine.
Infectious
Agent
Reservoir

20.  The third link is the portal of exit. This link is needed for the
pathogen to leave the reservoir. If the reservoir is a human,
then the portal of exit may be saliva, mucous membranes,
faeces, blood, or nose or throat discharges. By using barrier
methods, such as gloves or masks, or covering the mouth while
coughing, this link can be broken.
• The fourth link is the means of transmission. The pathogen can
be transmitted either directly or indirectly. Direct transmission
requires close association with the infected host, but not
necessarily physical contact. Indirect transmission requires a
vector, such as an animal or insect. The link can be broken
through hand washing or avoiding contact with infected
individuals.
Portal of
Exit
Reservoir

21.  Link number five is the portal of entry. Entry of the pathogen
can take place in one of three ways: penetration, inhalation, or
ingestion. The level and severity of an infection may depend on
the depth of penetration. Similar to the portal of exit, barrier
methods, such as gloves or masks, can be used to break this
link.
 The final link is the new host. Once in the new host, various
factors influence the severity of infection, including the
strength of the immune system and the reproductive rate of
the pathogen. Immunization, health promotion, and medical
treatment can be used to break this link in the chain.
Portal of
Entry
New Host

22. Example of a Chain of Infection

23. Example of a Chain of Infection
• An example of illness resulting from the chain of infection is the common
cold. In this case, the pathogen is often referred to as rhinovirus. The reservoir
is another person carrying this virus, who then propels the virus into the air
via a portal of exit, such as a cough or sneeze. The route of transmission is
direct to the new host, which takes place through inhalation (the portal of
entry) of the virus.

24. Good Practice

25. Minimising the spread of infection – Cleaning!
• The correct management of the environment can minimise the spread of
infection by reducing the amount of micro-organisms.
• Clean the working environment and all items within regularly. All items must
be wiped/cleaned and dried before being disinfected.
• Your cleaning schedule will tell you when you need to clean, the cleaning
agents to use and the equipment required.
• Cleaning agents will include:
– Detergents
– Disinfectants
– Sanitisers

26. Colour coding for cleaning
• There is currently no national policy for colour coding all cleaning equipment
but good practice in the workplace will see colour coded equipment being
used.
Colour coding is used to:
 Prevent cross infection
 Keep cleaning items used for
different tasks separate from
each other

27. Using PPE during the decontamination process
The type of PPE which will be required will depend upon the task in hand and the
level of associated risk with that task. When carrying out cleaning and
decontamination the PPE is designed to:
 Protect the individual carrying out the task
 Avoid re-contaminating areas or equipment
PPE will either be single-use or reusable and should be worn in accordance with
the instructions. Always check your PPE before wearing it to ensure it is clean and
undamaged.

28. Good waste management practice
• There are two different categories of waste which you may be required to
dispose of in the workplace.
• Infectious waste is also called hazardous waste and contains items which
could be harmful to people’s health if they are exposed to it. Hazardous waste
(clinical/infectious waste) includes: disposable PPE, used needles blades and
other sharp instruments.
• Clinical waste is defined under the Controlled Waste Regulations 2012 as:
– “…any waste which consists wholly or partly of human or animal tissue, blood or other
bodily fluids, excretions, drugs or other pharmaceutical products, dressings or swabs,
syringes, needles or other sharp instruments… being waste which may cause infection to
any person coming into contact with it.”
• Non-infectious waste is also called non-hazardous waste and includes food,
household and confidential waste.

29. Reducing the risk of sharps injury
• Sharps pose a significant risk, especially to those dealing with clinical waste.
Disposal of sharps needs to comply with the Health and Safety at Work
Regulations (1974) and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Heath
Regulations (2002). This is to reduce the risk of injury from sharps.
• Correct procedures for disposing of sharps include:
– Wearing correct PPE
– Placing sharps safely in a sharps container
– Careful handling of sharps when placing them in the container
– Never overfilling a sharps container
– Locking the sharps container away when not being used or awaiting collection for disposal
– Never place sharps inside a yellow clinical bag for disposal
– Full sharps containers should be signed, dated and labelled
– Sharps containers should be carried safely away from the body