Safety and Sanitation in Health Care

Course Description:

Infectious medical waste can pose significant risks to health and safety in healthcare facilities. It’s critical that all healthcare employees know how to handle and dispose of it, and how to prevent and react to hazardous exposures.

Why “Safety and Sanitation in Health Care” Matters:

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

• Identify hazards associated with medical waste
• Recall best practices for handling and disposing of medical waste
• Respond appropriately to exposure incidents

Key Points:

• Working in a healthcare setting requires absolute vigilance when it comes to working with and around infectious material.
• Always stress the importance of good hygiene and keeping it clean—your staff should be cleaning and washing their hands on an ongoing basis.
• Those responsible for the storage and transport of medical waste should have a complete understanding of your facility’s waste management plan, including proper segregation, containment, and labeling of wastes in your healthcare facility.
• If a staff member has been exposed to infectious waste, he or she must report and treat it immediately.
• Your entire staff should receive training on the hazardous materials contained in your facility and how to react in an emergency.