Infection control and minimising the risk to yourself and others
The clearing up process and infection control
It is vital to minimise the risk of infection for you, the casualty and any bystanders when dealing with all incidents. Infection control can be helped by:
- Washing your hands if possible or using hand sanitiser
- Wearing disposable gloves
- Avoiding breathing, coughing or sneezing over a wound or touching it
- Using antiseptic wipes to clean a wound but cleaning depends on the type and severity of the wound and bleeding
- Covering the wound with a sterile dressing avoiding touching the dressing’s surface before application
- Using a face shield/mask when performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
Appropriate safety precautions should be taken where feasible especially if the casualty is known to have a serious infection such as tuberculosis (TB), severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (SARS) or coronavirus (COVID-19).
When the casualty has been treated it is vital that all soiled dressings and gloves etc. are placed in an appropriately marked orange/yellow clinical waste bag and disposed of properly.
Sharp items, including syringes and needles, must be disposed of in a purpose-made sharps bin and also must be disposed of appropriately.
Hospitals and pharmacies can assist you with the disposal of clinical waste bags and sharps bins.