1. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
Welcome to an on-line
health and safety training package intended for staff and students working within UofE buildings on the Little France campus.
Information contained within these pages is for use by University of Edinburgh staff and students only.

2. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
This on-line training package, which is a very basic introduction to the subject, is intended principally for laboratory-based workers, and it is not a substitute for more detailed training, which may be organised by senior laboratory managers as required.
Last updated: November 2013

3. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
Please take time to view the following material, and direct any urgent questions to your H&S Advisor, Senior Laboratory Manager, or the Little France Buildings H&S Manager (the contact details for whom are shown on the penultimate page of this presentation).
Thank you

4. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
Infection Control?
Human blood and other biological fluids and tissues are handled routinely within these buildings.
It is possible, therefore, for a laboratory worker to be occupationally exposed to pathogens.
Proper procedures (which is where infection control comes in) help prevent infections of laboratory workers.

5. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
Modes of Transmission
Direct Contact with biological material containing pathogens.
Indirect Contact (with a contaminated instrument or surface).
Ingestion (or contact with the eyes, nose or mouth ) perhaps where there have been splashes.
Inhalation (where microorganisms have been released as aerosols).

6. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
Chain of Infection
Pathogen
Susceptible
Host
Source
Entry
Mode

7. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
Chain of Infection
Breaking the cycle at any one or more places will have the effect of reducing the potential for a laboratory-based worker to be infected in the workplace.

8. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
Standard Precautions
Create and implement Local Rules for the safe management of pathogenic materials, to take account of the potential for these to be spread by blood, but also:
by other body fluids, secretions and excretions, whether or not they appear to contain blood; and
the implications of a worker’s non-intact (broken) skin, and possible contamination of their mucous membranes.

9. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
Routine Precautions
Hand-washing.
Use of lab coats, gloves, eye protection etc as dictated by prior risk assessment.
Appropriate laboratory equipment.
Environmental surfaces.
Accident prevention.

10. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
In other words …
Good Microbiological Practice (GMP), which should be second nature to all competent scientists working within biomedicine.

11. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE Management Roles in Infection Control
Provision of information, training,
instruction and supervision for those
who may potentially be exposed to risk
of infection;
Exposure prevention (including
immunisation where relevant) and
post-exposure management;

12. Management Roles in Infection Control (continued)
HEALTH & LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
Management Roles in Infection Control (continued)
Management of medical conditions and
work-related illnesses and restrictions;
and
Accident reporting and investigation,
and accident and health records.

13. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
Bloodborne Pathogens
Blood-borne viruses, such as hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV):
Are transmissible in laboratories;
May result in very serious chronic
infections; and
Some may be carried by people who are
currently unaware that they are infected.

14. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE Concentration of HBV in Body Fluids
INFECTION CONTROL
Concentration of HBV in Body Fluids
High Moderate Low/Not Detectable
Blood Semen Urine
Serum Vaginal fluid Faeces
Wound exudates Saliva Sweat
Tears
Breast milk

15. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
Hepatitis B Immunisation
Vaccinate all lab workers who are considered to be at risk of exposure to blood (based on need identified by Risk Assessment).
Provide access to Occupational Health professionals.
Test for antibodies one to two months after 3rd dose of vaccine.

16. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE Exposure Prevention Strategies
INFECTION CONTROL
Exposure Prevention Strategies
Local rules
Engineering controls
Procedural controls
Management controls

17. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
Local Rules
Generic site-wide rules
Local laboratory rules
Containment lab rules

18. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE Containment Laboratories
INFECTION CONTROL
Containment Laboratories

19. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE Containment Laboratories
INFECTION CONTROL
Rules for
Containment Laboratories
No unauthorized visitors.
No children in labs.
Induction safety training required before commencing work, and possibly also specific biosafety-related training.

20. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE Containment Laboratories
INFECTION CONTROL
Rules for
Containment Laboratories
Lab coats are mandatory … At all times.
Must be worn … Properly fastened up.
Must be removed before leaving the laboratory.
Contaminated lab coats should be sent for cleaning.

21. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
They don’t work draped around one’s shoulders like Batman’s cape, and they work even less well hung over the back of a chair.
And this rule is not somehow suspended at weekends and holidays … It applies all the time, on each and on every occasion when working in the lab.

22. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
Correct technique for removing gloves
Source: West Virginia University

23. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE Containment Laboratories
INFECTION CONTROL
Rules for
Containment Laboratories
After removing lab coats, but before leaving the lab, workers must wash their hands.
Hand washing is necessary whether or not the worker has been wearing lab gloves.

24. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE Containment Laboratories
INFECTION CONTROL
Rules for
Containment Laboratories
Food and drink must not be stored or consumed in containment labs.
This prohibition most certainly does include bottled water!

25. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE Containment Laboratories
INFECTION CONTROL
Rules for
Containment Laboratories
Mouth pipetting is strictly
prohibited.
Manually operated pipette
filling devices must be used
instead.

26. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
Engineering Controls
Isolate or remove the hazard e.g.:
Use sharps containers.
Select laboratory equipment
with injury prevention
features.

27. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
Procedural Controls
Change the manner of performing tasks. For example:
Using instruments (and not
fingers – gloved or otherwise)
to handle biological material.
Outlaw the re-sheathing of
hypodermic needles.

28. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
Management Controls
Policies, procedures, and
enforcement measures.
These take priority over
engineered and procedural
controls.

29. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE Post-Exposure Management Plan
INFECTION CONTROL
Post-Exposure Management Plan
Set out clear policies and procedures, for accidental exposures, and provide rapid access to:
Clinical care;
Post-exposure prophylaxis
(PEP); and
Testing of exposed workers.

30. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE Post-Exposure Management
INFECTION CONTROL
Post-Exposure Management
Apply wound management
Report accidents and exposures
Assess the risk of infection:
Type and severity of exposure
Status of infectious material
Susceptibility of exposed person

31. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
Accident Reporting
Report all accidents and near-
miss occurrences using the on-
line form at:
in order to ensure that the
circumstances are investigated;
and, wherever biological materials are involved, that you also inform
UofE’s Occupational Heath Unit.

32. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
Occupational Health Unit
UofE’s Occupational Heath Unit
can be contacted on a confidential basis for further information and advice by telephoning or by ing

33. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
Finally …
Even where the sole consideration is perception of risk, an individual’s perception is their reality, and people should not be put in the position of feeling concerned because of what they perceive as a possible risk to them.

34. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
For that reason, regardless of what others on this campus may or may not be permitted to do within their own premises, we DO NOT permit the wearing of personal protective equipment (including lab coats and gloves, theatre scrubs etc) in any public areas of our buildings.

35. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
Lindsay Murray
Health & Safety Manager,
The University of Edinburgh,
College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine
(Chancellor’s Building, Medical School and Queen’s Medical Research Institute),
Little France
Room SU215, Chancellor’s Building
Ext: 26390

36. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
INFECTION CONTROL
You have now completed this
on-line training package summarising several important aspects of infection control. Please also attend any practical training that may be organised by your senior laboratory manager.
Thank you