Objectives Objectives Understand the hazards that exist in long - - PDF document

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The Arkansas Self-Insurance Trust and Mike Johnson & Associates present Exposure Control Practices for Housekeeping and Laundry Staff

Today’s Presenter:

Darrell G. Toenjes, ARM, CHSP, CWCP Darrell G. Toenjes, ARM, CHSP, CWCP

Healthcare Risk Management Consultant Healthcare Risk Management Consultant Midwest Employers Casualty Company Midwest Employers Casualty Company

• 25 years in insurance industry
• Corporate Risk Manager, Employee Safety – SSM

Health Care

• Operations Manager – Sedgwick CMS
• National Program Manager – Ascension Health
• Understand the hazards that exist in long

term care

• Learn how to protect yourself from these

hazards

Objectives Objectives

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What are the hazards?

• Bloodborne Pathogens
• Other Potentially Infectious Material (OPIM)
• Airborne diseases: influenza, common colds

How do we protect ourselves and our residents?

• Universal Precautions
• Hand washing
• PPE
• Decon
• Isolation

What are Universal Precautions?

• Assuming all body fluids are potentially infectious
• Actions that you take to place barriers between you

and potentially infected body fluids

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What are the “barriers” that I use?

• Hand washing
• PPE
• Bags, containers and bagging
• Spills and Spill Kits
• Decontamination
• Isolation
• Sharps Containers

Hand washing

• Immediately after cleaning isolation rooms
• Immediately after cleaning up blood or OPIM
• Bathrooms
• After handling trash, soiled linen, solutions used in

isolation

• After cleaning housekeeping equipment such as

bedpans and mops

• After handling chemicals, if hands are exposed
• After cleaning equipment and work areas

Follow these steps to properly wash your hands:

• Wet your hands with running water
• Apply liquid, bar or powder soap
• Lather well
• Rub your hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds.

Remember to scrub all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails

• Rinse well
• Dry your hands with a clean or disposable towel or air dryer
• If possible, use your towel to turn off the faucet

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• Antibacterial soap is no more effective than regular

soap

• Antibacterial soap can lead to development of

bacteria that are resistant to the product’s antimicrobial agents

– Ha rd e r to kill the se g e rms in the future

Keep in mind….. Keep in mind…..

• Alcohol-based hand sanitizers

– Do no t re q uire wa te r – Are a n e xc e lle nt a lte rna tive to so a p a nd wa te r – Sho uld c o nta in a t le a st 60% a lc o ho l

• Proper use

– Ap p ly e no ug h in the p a lm o f yo ur ha nd to we t yo ur ha nd s c o mp le te ly – Rub ha nd s to g e the r, c o ve ring a ll surfa c e s, fo r 25 se c o nd s

• If hands are visibly dirty:

– Wa sh with so a p a nd wa te r

Personal protective equipment

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Follow your protocols

• Disposable latex gloves

– use whe n wo rking with susp e c te d OPIM c le a nup a nd iso la tio n p ro c e d ure s – use whe n ha nd ling tra sh a nd line ns

• Rubber gloves

– use whe n wo rking with c he mic a ls in ro utine o r he a vy c le a ning p ro c e d ure s

Follow your protocols

• Face masks and aprons

– use whe n wo rking with susp e c te d OPIM c le a nup a nd iso la tio n p ro c e d ure s – e sp e c ia lly in re sid e nts ro o ms, ho p p e r ro o ms a nd la und ry

• Clean your equipment daily

Spills and Spill Kits

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Using spill kits

• Use if blood is visible
• Follow directions
• Put on your provided gloves
• Blot up the OPIM with the absorbent material
• Use the disinfectant to clean and sterilize
• Place absorbent material and gloves in provided

bag and tie

• Place provided bag in biohazard bag and wash

your hands

Cleaning up broken glass

• Put on your protective gloves
• Sprinkle absorbent material over the spill area
• Wait for liquid to be absorbed
• Carefully pick up and place glass fragments and absorbent

material in appropriate puncture resistant container using appropriate equipment such as tongs, forceps, brush and pan

Cleaning up broken glass

• Never pickup the glass or material with you gloved hand!
• Clean and decontaminate the spilled area
• Remove and discard your gloves into the appropriate bag or

container

• Wash your hands
• Clean and disinfect or discard your equipment

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Cleaning & Decontamination Cleaning & Decontamination procedures

• Follow the cleaning schedule in your Exposure

Control Plan

• Use the approved decontaminant
• Use rubber gloves for equipment cleaning and

surface cleaning

• Use protective aprons if chemical splashing is likely

Isolation procedures

• Resident’s rooms

– We a r p ro te c tive a p ro ns, g lo ve s, g o g g le s a nd ma sks in iso la tio n ro o ms if sp la she s c a n o c c ur – We a r g lo ve s a nd rub b e r a p ro ns whe n ha nd ling & so rting so ile d line ns – Ma sks a re re q uire d in c o nta c t iso la tio n ro o ms o r in a irb o rne iso la tio n ro o ms if no t a p p ro p ria te ly ve ntila te d

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Isolation procedures

• Resident’s rooms

– All la und ry a rtic le s fro m iso la tio n ro o ms must b e se g re g a te d . – Re d b a g visib ly so ile d o r b lo o d y a rtic le s – Re me mb e r to wa sh yo ur ha nd s whe n yo u a re finishe d

Handling potentially contaminated laundry Handling potentially contaminated laundry

• Keep linens separated from normal laundry

– b o th so ile d a nd c le a ne d – c o nta ine rs must b e la b e le d a nd c o lo r c o d e d

• Wear protective gloves, masks and aprons
• Wash hands after handling soiled linens and before

handling cleaned linens

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Sharps Containers

• should be located in the

laundry and shower rooms

• should not be overfilled

Biohazard waste storage Biohazard waste storage procedures

• Biohazard waste must be stored in the approved

containers or boxes

• Red bags are placed in the containers or boxes
• Double bagging

– re c o mme nd e d p ra c tic e is to use two b a g s p e r c o nta ine r – fo ld o ne b a g o ve r the to p e d g e o f the c o nta ine r a s a line r, the n use the se c o nd b a g insid e the line r

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Biohazard waste storage procedures

• There should be no exposed items in the storage

area

– inc lud ing g lo ve s – o r o the r PPE – sup p lie s, suc h a s re d b a g s a nd uno p e ne d b o xe s, a re p e rmitte d

• if they are several feet away from the opened containers and

they are stored neatly

Biohazard waste storage procedures

• There should be no exposed items in, or on, the

boxes or containers

• Barrels and boxes must have lids or tops securely

in place

• Double isolation

– hig hly re c o mme nd e d p ra c tic e – fo ld the to p o f the inne r b a g o ve r to c o ve r the c o nte nts a nd the n fo ld o r p la c e the c o nta ine r lid

• ve r the to p o f the c o nta ine r

Biohazard waste storage procedures

• Storage for pickup must be isolated from other material,

secured (locked) and rodent and animal free

• Limit access of the storage areas to only trained staff
• Check the condition of the storage areas daily
• Doors to Biohazard storage areas must have a Universal

Precautions Biohazard sign

• Do not over stack the boxes or containers
• Boxes or containers should not be placed directly on the

floor

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Thanks to…..

• Lisa Duncan, Winnie Carrie and Tommy Roland – Newton County

Nursing Home

• Robin Looney - Hudson Memorial Nursing Home.
• Kelly Walters & the Safety Team - Katherine’s Place
• Angie Freer, Ralph Moore and Sandy Garlets – Fountain Lake Health &

Rehab

• Twana Smith & the Safety Team - The Maples at Har-Ber Meadows
• Rebecca Cole and Merle Wilkins – St. Elizabeth’s Place
• Amy Rollins – Reliance Healthcare
• Robert Greene - Convacare

Darrell G. Toenjes Healthcare Risk Management Consultant

Midwest Employers Casualty Company Phone: 314-226-9706 dtoenjes@mwecc.com

Jack McDaniel Safety/Loss Control Specialist

Mike Johnson & Associates Phone: 479-619-8045 mtecsafety@cox.net