One method of microorganism control is sterilisation: sterilisation destroys and removes pathogenic microorganisms through chemical or physical methods within health and social care (IntroductionDisinfection & Sterilization Guidelines | Guidelines Library | Infection Control | CDC, n.d.). Sterilisation primarily uses heat, chemicals and pressure to minimise the potential of infection. 

However, organisations must remember to clean medical equipment, items and objects beforehand to decrease the chance of infection in service users and practitioners (Infection Prevention and Control in Health and Social Care A-D, n.d.). Medical equipment, items and objects that need to be sterilised include surgical instruments, implants, and pharmaceutical items (Sterilization | Disinfection & Sterilization Guidelines | Guidelines Library | Infection Control | CDC, n.d.). The most common type of sterilisation is steam sterilisation: steam sterilisation is a rapid, non-toxic and inexpensive method for cleaning medical equipment. In steam sterilisation, pressure and temperature are the most controlled and essential factors in destroying pathogenic microorganisms (Steam Sterilization | Disinfection & Sterilization Guidelines | Guidelines Library | Infection Control | CDC, n.d.)

Disinfection is another method of microorganism control: disinfection reduces the number of pathogens likely to cause infection within a health and social care setting (Methods of Decontamination - Blood Borne Viruses (BBV), n.d.). This method primarily uses heat and chemicals to limit the number of pathogenic microorganisms on surfaces and apparatus. Health and social care organisations must regularly clean and follow with disinfectant cleaning to stop the spread of infections (Cleaning & Disinfection | PHA Infection Control, n.d.).

Health and social care organisations have a range of simple guidelines in relation to personal hygiene for professionals to follow. Some examples of these guidelines are short unpainted nails, hair must be tied or short, jewellery must be removed, sleeves must be kept short and proper techniques for sneezing, and coughing must be followed (Personal Hygiene in Health Care Can Prevent Spread of Health Care-associated Infections | Infection Prevention, n.d.).  Nails must be kept short and unpainted within health and social care to ensure that the amount of bacteria is limited in order to not affect the rate of infection (Nail Hygiene, 2022). To ensure bacteria and hair doesn't go into open wounds and on medical equipment, care professionals must ensure that hair is fully tied up in either a pony tail or a bun (Nightingale College, 2017). Within health and social care, jewellery must be removed in case they are contaminated with pathogens: Jewellery in some cases can scratch, infect or harm a patient when carrying out physical care (derbyshire.gov.uk, 2016).

Personal attire like gloves, aprons, face masks, eyemasks, and general workwear must all be removed effectively to control the spread of bodily fluids or pathogens (Burton-Hughes, 2022). Risk assessments will be conducted within health and social care organisations to establish what personal attire must be worn when working in various cases. After removing and correctly disposing personal attire, practitioners must ensure that good personal hygiene is carried out: for example, the correct hand washing technique must be done. 

 

In order to make sure infections are prevented and controlled, the correct hand-washing technique must be followed (When and How to Wash Your Hands, n.d.). Firstly care practitioners must wet their hands before applying enough soap to cover the entire hands surface. Palms should then be rubbed together in order to remove pathogens through friction. Care practitioners must rub the back of each hand with fingers interlaced before rubbing each palm with interlaced fingers. This must be done to ensure all areas of the hand are fully covered. The backs of fingers must then be rubbed against the opposing palm with interlocked fingers. Each thumb must be then rubbed in a rotational movement in the opposing palms clasp. To ensure pathogens are further removed, fingertips must be then rubbed in a circular motion against the opposing palm. Care practitioners must then rub each wrist before rinsing thoroughly from wrist down (Website, n.d.). Drying must be done by a single use disposable towel which is also used to turn of the tap before being placed in a foot-operated bin. Care practitioners must ensure their hands are correctly dried as pathogens can further reproduce or damage the skin. It is also essential that a foot-operated waste bin is always used after following the correct hand washing technique to avoid recontamination.

The correct technique should follow five steps every time. The first step is to wet your hands and apply soap. The second step is to lather your hands by rubbing them together, ensuring that the backs of your hands, under nails, thumbs, wrists and between the fingers are all covered in soap. The third step is lathering soap for 20 seconds, followed by the fourth step of rinsing hands efficiently with clean water. The final fifth step is to dry your hands using paper towels or an air dryer. 

Within health and social care, hand washing should be followed correctly in a range of situations. For example, after touching your face or surfaces, preparing and serving food and drinks, coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose (When and How to Wash Your Hands, n.d.). This range of situations must be understood by health and social practitioners and service users to ensure that pathogens, diseases and infections are not transmitted. 

Gloves, aprons, long-sleeved gowns, masks and face visors are all examples of personal protective equipment that must be worn in health and social care organisations. In order to create a protective barrier between practitioners and service users, personal protective equipment must be worn: this is because it ensures that pathogenic microorganisms are not transmitted (Personal Protective Equipment | PHA Infection Control, n.d.). Personal Protective Equipment can also be worn by a service user's family or friend if they are providing direct personal care, for example, assisting with toileting. Health and social care organisations must ensure that they carry out risk assessments and ensure policies and procedures are in place concerning Personal Protective Equipment: deviation from the proper use of PPE can put various individuals at risk of infection (Huziej, 2023). Personal Protective Equipment must be used when using sharps, delivering personal care, when a risk of contact with bodily fluids arises, and when carrying out roles that may have a risk of infection.

Personal protective equipment like aprons may be used in health and social care when care practitioners are cleaning washrooms and bathrooms: when cleaning areas of isolation: when working in kitchens: and when cleaning public wards (Disposable Aprons, n.d.). To ensure bacteria is not spread, health and social care professionals must dispose of aprons by following specific steps. Firstly, any gloves should be removed and disposed of, then the neck and waist straps should be broken gently before rolling the apron downwards (Disposable Aprons, n.d.). Face masks may be used by care practitioners when working with service users to prevent the spread of pathogens and air-borne diseases (Wearing a Surgical Mask While in Hospital - Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, 2023). Face masks should be disposed of in a general waste bin at home or work to ensure pathogens are not transmitted to surfaces care professionals or service users ([Withdrawn] Coronavirus (COVID-19): Disposing of Waste, 2021).

Health and social care practitioners are responsible for following safe waste disposal policies and procedures concerning non-clinical and clinical waste (Infection Prevention and Control in Health and Social Care A-D, n.d.). When disposing of clinical and non-clinical waste, health and social care organisations can provide colour codes for disposal to be correct. For example, clinical waste bins, sharps bins, disposable PPE and garments have a yellow colour code to demonstrate that they are clinically highly infectious (Colour Coding Guide | Initial Medical UK, n.d.). This means these items are highly hazardous and have been in contact with contagious bodily fluids, requiring incineration. Incineration is where clinical waste is burned: this process efficiently destroys pathogens because of high temperatures. 

When cleaning and disposing of bodily fluids, health and social care professionals must follow specific processes to ensure this is done safely. Bodily fluids such as saliva, vomit, urine and blood require professionals to wear single-use disposable gloves and a disposable plastic apron to prevent infection (Oxfordshire County Council, 2011). Practitioners must use paper towels and detergent when removing bodily fluids from surfaces and use paper towels, liquid soap and warm water when removing bodily fluids from an individual. When cleaning bodily fluids from an individual or surface, all items must be disposed of in the correct coloured bin liners. 

Similarly to the disposal of bodily fluids, health and social care practitioners must also wear single-use disposable gloves and disposable plastic aprons when handling linen. When disposing of or moving linen, professionals must place the item in the correct colour-coded bags to ensure the type of waste stream is known (Infection Prevention and Control in Health and Social Care A-D, n.d.).  Infected or soiled linen should be placed into water-soluble bag before being placed into a colour coded bin liner for its transportation to a laundry point even if its not likely to be reused  (1.7 Safe Management of Linen, n.d.). Linen should be tagged with its date and ward code before being placed inside a locked and designated safety area.

Disposal of sharps and equipment must be carried out safely to prevent infection. Sharps such as razors, needles, syringes and glass must be disposed of in a hard plastic container near the practitioner's workstation: they must be disposed of immediately after use and placed sharp face down into the container (Matt Porter, 2014). Professionals must comply with the health and social care organisations' policies and procedures when disposing of equipment like bedpans or hoists. For example, hoists must be thoroughly decontaminated and cleaned after every use.

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