Infection prevention and control (IPC) aims to reduce the spread of infections in healthcare settings. IPC breaks the chain of infection by implementing standard infection control precautions (SICPs) like proper hand hygiene and using personal protective equipment. SICPs include 10 elements that are followed by all healthcare workers at all times with all patients. These include assessing patient infection risk, practicing hand hygiene before and after contact with patients or their surroundings, and safely managing equipment, linen and waste.