Hygiene - simple and straightforward

APH

Ten basic hygiene tips for everyday work

Employees in care and nursing homes work really hard to ensure residents are well looked after. But how do they protect themselves from viruses and bacteria? By following these 10 basic hygiene tips, for example.

Keep clean and unclean strictly separate!

Clean laundry must never cross paths with unclean laundry, nor must it come into contact with appliances or objects that have been used to treat dirty washing and have not been cleaned and disinfected.

When switching to the clean side, hygienically disinfect hands and dispose of gloves and protective clothing.

2

It's always better to disinfect hands one more time

Over 3/4 of all contagious diseases are transferred via the hands. Microbes enter the body through the mucous membranes or when eating.

Thorough and regular hand washing minimises the risk of infection.

3

Fresh air, healthy working environment

What's good in your own home is good in the care home too: micro-organisms can multiply rapidly in rooms where there is poor air circulation. Regular ventilation helps to prevent this problem.

Open windows for 10 minutes, 3 or 4 times a day. This will ensure the air in the room is healthy.

4

Never neglect hygiene regulations

Employees can take bacteria and viruses home with them or bring them from home to work. So any time a hygiene rule is not followed, this poses a risk for all concerned.

Even if it is sometimes laborious and takes time: hygiene regulations must be observed.

5

Secrecy is not a virtue

Even with all due care, hygiene regulations may not always be upheld if processes are changed or colleagues are inexperienced, for example. Such breaches pose a potential risk of infection.

If you identify a hygiene violation, speak to your colleagues and supervisors about it immediately.

6

ProHygiene test checks bacterial count

Disinfection processes and the products used in them must be perfectly aligned in order to guarantee reliable protection. A hygiene test performed as part of maintenance work will tell you what you need to know.

The ProHygiene test will put you on the safe side when it comes to disinfected laundry.

7

A pretty risk: painted fingernails

Fingernails that are long or painted are difficult to clean. Nail varnish makes dirt hard to see, whilst longer nails give pathogens a larger surface area to contaminate.

It is more practical and safer to keep your fingernails short and unpainted.

8

Bring machines up to temperature regularly

If dishwashers or washing machines are only operated at temperatures below 60 °C for a long period of time, unwanted pathogens can colonise the inside of the appliance.

Hygiene programmes or washing temperatures over 60 ºC prevent the formation of biofilms and the growth of microbes.

9

Flu jab: a little prick with a huge impact

Care homes are a prime example of a place where there is an increased risk of becoming infected with the flu virus – even if employees do not have any direct contact with residents.

The annual flu jab provides reliable protection against this dangerous infection.

10

Do not wash workwear at home

Washing workwear at home is a risk! Domestic machines don’t guarantee a defined temperature hold time, which is required for disinfection.

Implementing the right kind of in-house laundry care system using professional washing machines is the basis for achieving reliable disinfection.

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PROconcept

This article is part of our magazine "PROconcept". You are welcome to download it. You can find this article on page 10-11.

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