What is infection control

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Skip to main content. Home Infections. Workplace safety - infection control. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Transmission of infection Assumption of risk Workplace infection control — personal hygiene practices Food preparation and workplace infection control Infection control and workplace cleanliness Infection control — disposing of infectious waste Workplace infection control — handling contaminated sharps Where to get help.

Transmission of infection Infectious agents can be spread in a variety of ways, including: breathing in airborne germs — coughs or sneezes release airborne pathogens, which are then inhaled by others touching contaminated objects or eating contaminated food — the pathogens in a person's faeces may be spread to food or other objects, if their hands are dirty skin-to-skin contact — the transfer of some pathogens can occur through touch, or by sharing personal items, clothing or objects contact with body fluids — pathogens in saliva, urine, faeces or blood can be passed to another person's body via cuts or abrasions, or through the mucus membranes of the mouth and eyes.

Assumption of risk The basis of good infection control in the workplace is to assume that everyone is potentially infectious. Workplace infection control — personal hygiene practices Infection control procedures relating to good personal hygiene include: hand washing — the spread of many pathogens can be prevented with regular hand washing.

Thoroughly wash your hands with water and soap for at least 15 seconds after visiting the toilet, before preparing food, and after touching clients or equipment.

Dry your hands with disposable paper towels unbroken skin — intact and healthy skin is a major barrier to pathogens. The risk of acquiring a healthcare-associated infection is related to the mode of transmission of the infectious agent e.

Healthcare workers should be vaccinated against preventable diseases such as hepatitis B. Personnel at risk for exposure to tuberculosis should be screened per recommendations. Injection Safety Injection safety, or safe injection practices, refers to the measures taken to perform injections in the safest manner possible for patients, health care providers, and others.

Cover Your Cough Poster for the Community Posters that you can use to help teach people to cover their cough. Occupational contact dermatitis can have negative long-term impacts on quality of work and home life. Cleaning and disinfection of the physical environment in hospitals and health care settings for prevention of infections. In the midst of the COVID pandemic, clean hands have never mattered more - cleaning our hands will help flatten the curve.

See our best practice guidelines, videos, online training and checklists. Information and resources for public health units in preventing and investigating IPAC lapses in community settings.

IPAC practices for personal service settings, such as hairdressing and barbering, tattooing, aesthetics and piercing and other body modification. A series of PPE auditing resources to assist health care settings establish, improve and maintain a PPE auditing and feedback program to support infection prevention and control best practices. IPAC for the cleaning and disinfection or sterilization of reusable medical items in health care and personal service settings.

Resources related to routine practices and additional precautions in health care settings across the continuum of care including, but not limited to, pre-hospital care, acute care, complex continuing care, rehabilitation facilities, long-term care, chronic care, ambulatory care and home health care.

PIDAC-IPC is a multidisciplinary committee of health care professionals with expertise and experience in infection prevention and control. Learn more about the committee and opportunities to join. Infection Prevention and Control.

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