Infection control procedure
Audience
Department-wide
Purpose
This procedure provides the process for departmental workplaces to address infection control through both preventative and management strategies.
Overview
The Department of Education (the department) has a general duty under the
Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld) to prevent injury and illness in the workplace. The Department is committed to minimising the risk of exposure of staff, students and others to infectious disease agents.
Infection control practices are to be implemented at all departmental workplaces. This procedure and the Infection control guideline have been established to provide practical implementation advice.
Responsibilities
Principals/Managers
- Develop and implement a local infection control program that minimises the risk of exposure of staff, students and others to infectious disease agents.
- Provide adequate resourcing to implement appropriate infection control processes; e.g. facilities, consumables, training and practices
All employees
- Utilise the Infection control guideline for practical advice.
- Implement and comply with local infection control practices.
- Model standard precautions for infection control.
- Be aware of infectious diseases for which personal immunity has been established (via exposure or vaccination).
- Seek medical advice from your medical practitioner regarding infection control and the impact of the workplace on individual health conditions.
- Maintain up-to-date record of personal immunisation status.
- Participate in education and training on infection control.
Process
- Implement an infection control program that includes:
- Risk management
- Standard precautions
- Provision of facilities, amenities and equipment
- Protocols for infection control
- Vaccination and immunization
- Education and training for staff, students and others
- Accurate records of training
The Infection control guideline provides practical advice on how to implement this procedure.
- Review infection control measures to ensure they are providing an adequate level of safety.
- Ensure all staff, students and others are aware of infectious disease related hazards in their workplace, including diseases relevant to pregnancy.
Definitions
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Term
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Definition
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Infectious Disease Agents
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Pathogens that can cause disease in its host e.g. a virus, bacterium, fungus, protozoa.
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Others
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A person other than an employee or contractor as defined as a worker under the
Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld), including -
- subcontractor; or
- an employee of a contractor or subcontractor; or
- an employee of a labour hire company who has been assigned to work in the person’s business or undertaking; or
- an outworker; or
- an apprentice or trainee; or
- a student gaining work experience; or
- a volunteer; or
- a visitor; or
- a parent/carer; or
- a pre-service teacher; or
- a school student; or
- a person of a prescribed class.
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Standard precautions
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Standard precautions are work practices that assume that all blood and body substances are potentially infectious. Standard precautions should be used as a first-line approach to preventing infection and should be adopted for contact with all blood and body substances.
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Legislation
Delegations/Authorisations
Other resources
Superseded versions
Previous seven years shown. Minor version updates not included.
1.0 Infection control (HLS-PR-029)
2.0 Infection control