Mainly while we deal with the global pandemic of Covid-19, people have taken their own health and hygiene control into their own hands in the past year. Before the worldwide pandemic, people took for granted daily hygienic practices and infection control techniques, like washing your hands, covering your mouth when you sneeze, and other more ‘extreme’ measures, like wearing masks and social distancing.
To prevent a rapid spread of infections from staying healthy as individuals and across the world, individuals need to adopt better hygiene practices and educate themselves about infection control procedures when the likes of a wide-spreading disease are imminent in society.
Fortunately, there are control methods put in place by safety organizations that help teach individuals about the best ways to prevent infection spread and stay safe during trying times.
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3 key steps for infection prevention – certain employees should take bloodborne pathogens training courses
If you work in a high-risk occupation, then taking bloodborne pathogens training is sometimes mandatory to remain healthy and safe in risky environments; if you are emergency personnel, healthcare worker, or even a housekeeper, you may find that you are exposed to pathogens and infectious diseases regularly.
To stay healthy, you can take specific steps and preventative measures to avoid catching or spreading a bloodborne pathogen.
Wash your hands
One of the most basic and easiest ways to slow the spread of an infectious disease is by washing hands. You see signs in various establishments, like restaurants and hospitals, that employees must wash their hands before returning to work.
Washing your hands after touching surfaces or coming in contact with certain liquids should be the case for every person – as washing your hands gives a chance for you to kill any bacteria that is travelling between people or unclean surfaces.
When washing your hands, make sure you wash for the proper length of time, scrub in between your fingers, wash under your fingernails, and clean the palms of your hands. Washing for less than 20 seconds with cold water will not do the trick, so make sure you spend enough time scrubbing your hands with hot water and antibacterial soap to kill any lingering germs.
Protect clean surfaces
Everything you touch has the potential to further spread germs, bloodborne pathogens, or infectious diseases. You must be mindful of what surfaces you touch, whether you wear gloves, and what you touch after touching dirty surfaces. Avoid touching your face immediately after touching a potentially dirty surface, or start wearing gloves while at your place of work.
Promote vaccinations
A third way to help prevent the spread of diseases and complete your bloodborne pathogens training course is to educate yourself about the availability and benefits of vaccinations. Staying current on your vaccines helps prevent you from catching foodborne illnesses, such as hepatitis C, hepatitis B, or HIV.
Conclusion
Whether you need to take a bloodborne pathogens training course for work to receive an OSHA certification, or you want to practice hygienic practices to prevent catching or spreading a disease, knowing basic steps to help with infection control is crucial to long-term health.