Blood and body fluids precaution policy.

Aims

1. To maintain the health of all educators and children and protect them from potential infection.

2. To limit the possibility of the spread of infection as much as is possible.

3. To make all educators aware that all blood and body fluids are potentially infectious.

4. To be aware of and follow appropriately all precautionary methods.

5. Spot Clean nappy change and bathroom areas as required during the day and clean the areas thoroughly after lunch and at the end of the day.

6. Encourage children to cover their noses and mouths when sneezing or coughing and to wash and dry their hands afterwards. Model the appropriate cough and sneeze etiquette.

7. Wear gloves when serving and preparing food. Children's cups, plates, and bowls along with all kitchen utensils used in the preparation of food will be sanitised in the dishwasher.

8. Use every precaution to minimise the risk of infection within the education and care service environment for themselves, the children, and the families.

9. Store and dispose of soiled items appropriately as per nappy change and toileting policies. Soiled items not belonging to an individual child or family that have been exposed to bodily fluids will be rinsed in cold water and detergent and washed separately in a washing machine using hot water.

Cough and Sneeze Etiquette

The correct way to prevent the spread of germs that are carried by droplets is by coughing and sneezing into your inner elbow, or by using a tissue to cover your mouth and nose. Put all tissues in the rubbish bin straight away and clean your hands with either soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.

IMPLEMENTATION

Accidental spills of body fluids—including blood, vomit, urine, faeces, and nasal discharge—are a fact of life within education and care services. Prompt management of spots and spills, including removing the spilled substance, and cleaning and disinfecting the area, reduces the potential risk to children, educators, and other staff in education and care services. Prevention is better than cure.

Strategies to Prevent Spills of Body Fluids include

• regularly toileting children

• using disposable nappies rather than cloth nappies

• excluding children with vomiting or diarrhoea

• encouraging children to blow their own noses, especially any who have a runny nose, and disposing of tissues appropriately.

• minimising the risk of injury by supervising and supporting children to play safely.

If a spill occurs, clean it up as soon as possible. When cleaning up a spill of blood, faeces, urine, vomit or breastmilk, wear gloves and wipe up the spill with paper towels. Next, clean the surface with warm water and detergent and dry with paper towels. Wipe the area with disinfectant and allow to dry.

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and running water after you have cleaned any spills of body fluids.

If a spill does occur, it is important to avoid direct contact with body fluids. Healthy skin is an effective barrier against infectious body fluids, so make sure any cuts or abrasions on your hands are covered with a waterproof dressing, and wear gloves, if possible.

Have a spill kit readily accessible for educators and other staff to use. The spill kit can be in the form of a bucket filled with all the necessary equipment to clean up a spill, including:

• disposable gloves

• paper towel

• disposable cloths or sponge

• detergent

• disposable scraper and pan to scoop

• bleach (sodium hypochlorite) (kept in laundry).

• disposable apron (optional)

First Aid Duties

• Disposable gloves must be worn.

• Gloves to be turned inside each other and disposed of into general waste.

• Educator must wash hands thoroughly following our hand washing policy.

• Children will wash their hands at the end of the first aid procedure.

• Administer first aid to any educator who has blood or bodily fluids splash into their eyes or mouth by irrigating the eyes for 5-10 minutes and/or blow nose and spit out then rinse out the mouth.

Blood

Children must be supervised at all times, and it is important to ensure that they play safely. If a child is bleeding, through either an injury, bites from other children or a nosebleed, you need to:

• look after the child

• allow the first-aid officer to dress the wound (if appropriate)

• check that no-one else has come in contact with the blood

• clean up the blood.

Looking after the Child

• Avoid contact with the blood.

• Comfort the child and move them to safety, away from other children.

• Put on gloves, if available.

–– If gloves are not available, take the first opportunity to get someone wearing gloves to take over from you. Then wash your hands.

• Apply pressure to the bleeding area with a bandage or paper towel.

• Elevate the bleeding area unless you suspect a broken bone.

• Send for the first-aid officer (if appropriate).

• When the wound is covered and no longer bleeding, remove your gloves, put them in a plastic bag or alternative, seal the bag and place it in the rubbish bin.

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and running water (preferably warm water).

• When cleaning or treating a child’s face that has blood on it, do not put yourself at eye level with the child—their blood could enter your eyes or mouth if the child is crying or coughing. If possible wear a face shield or protective eyewear.

Dressing the Wound

This should be done by the first-aid officer, if appropriate.

• Wear gloves if there is time.

• Dress the wound with a bandage or suitable substitute and seek medical assistance.

–– If it is an emergency, call 000 for an ambulance.

–– If the situation is not urgent, call the child’s parent.

• Remove your gloves, put them in a plastic bag or alternative, seal the bag and place it in the rubbish bin.

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and running water (preferably warm water).

Checking for Contact with Blood

Ask the adults and children in the area of the spill if they have come into contact with the blood. For infants and non-verbal children, check if they have come into contact with the blood. If they have, remove any blood from the person with soap and water and make sure they wash their hands thoroughly.

Notify the work cover authority if there has been exposure to bodily fluids that may present the risk of the transition of blood borne diseases.

Cleaning the Blood Spill

The best way to clean a blood spill depends on the size of the spill.

Clean first, then disinfect

You must clean first before using disinfectant. It is harder for the disinfectant to reach and kill germs if you have not wiped up the spill, removed any dried or caked-on material, and cleaned the surface well first.

Disinfectants

Disinfectants are chemical substances used to destroy harmful germs. To kill germs, any disinfectant must be

• Effective against those specific germs

• Used at the right concentration

• Applied to a surface that has already been cleaned with detergent and water, and dried.

Commercially available general-purpose disinfectant or bleach can be used to wipe the area after a spill of body fluid.

Preparing Bleach Solution

Always prepare bleach solutions according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Because bleach loses strength over time, always make up new dilutions of bleach every day. Any diluted bleach that is not used within 24 hours of preparation should be discarded.

Safe use of Bleach

Always

• Read and follow the safety and handling instructions on the label.

• Dilute bleach in a clean bucket or other labelled container for bleach, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

• Wear gloves and eye protection when handling and preparing bleach.

• Check the use-by date before using bleach because it can lose effectiveness during storage.

• Make up a new batch of bleach each time you disinfect—it loses its effectiveness quickly once it has been diluted.

Never

• Use bleach in a spray bottle.

• Use hot water to dilute bleach.

• Mix bleach with any other chemicals.

• Use bleach on metals other than stainless steel—bleach is corrosive.

Faeces, Vomit and Urine

When cleaning up spills of faeces, vomit or urine, the following procedures should be used:

• Wear gloves.

• Place paper towel over the spill and allow the spill to soak in. Carefully remove the paper towel and any solid matter. Place it in a plastic bag or alternative, seal the bag and put it in the rubbish bin.

• Remove gloves and put them in the rubbish bin

• Wash hands with soap and water. Put on clean gloves.

• Clean the surface with warm water and detergent and allow to dry.

• If the spill came from a person who is known or suspected to have an infectious disease (e.g., diarrhea or vomit from a child with gastroenteritis), use a disinfectant on the surface after cleaning it with detergent and warm water.

• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and running water (preferably warm water).

Nasal Discharge

Washing your hands every time you wipe a child’s nose will reduce the spread of colds. If you cannot wash your hands after every nose wipe, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

If you do wear gloves to wipe a child’s nose, you must remove your gloves and wash your hands or use an alcohol-based hand rub afterwards.

Dispose of used tissues and gloves immediately.

Source: Education and Care Services National Regulations

National Quality Standards

Staying Healthy – Preventing Infectious Diseases in Early Childhood Education and Care Services 6thEdition

This policy is the property of Eikoh Seminar Australia Pty Limited and must not be reproduced without the consent of management.