Underpinning knowledge to compliment the day course on the safe removal of body fluid spillages and hazardous items such as sharps and other drug related material.

1. C&G Practical Cleaning Skills
109 Clean & Dispose of bodily fluids,
spillages and hazardous items

2. Biohazards Awareness
Aims and Objectives
By the end of this course you will be able to:
 Describe what a “biohazard” is
 Identify places and people at risk
 Health and safety relating to sharps and body fluids and
contaminated items
 Understand what to do in the event of an injury
 Understand the need for personal protective equipment
 Describe the correct equipment required to deal with sharps
and body fluid spillages
 The sharps collection procedure

3. Biohazards Awareness
Aims and Objectives
You will also:
 Identify and deal with simulated spillages and
contaminated items (assessed to C&G standards)

Complete the paperwork

4. Biohazard awareness
What are “biohazards”?






Body fluids
Nappies
Sanitary towels
Contraceptives
Clothing
Dressings





Sharps/needles
Food (raw and cooked)
Dusts
Human/animal tissues
Chemicals

5. Body Fluids

As well as Sharps and Needles you may encounter:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦

Blood
Urine
Vomit
Faeces
Sputum
All of which should be treat as being infected!

6. Biohazard Awareness
What causes the risk?
Pathogenic bacteria
 Viruses
 Fungi
 Parasites


7. Pathogenic bacteria
Most multiply quickly in large numbers and cause
illness
 Need time, nutrients, moisture and correct
temperature to multiply
 Produce toxins, which are poisonous substances that
cause illness
 Most can be killed with antibiotics


8. Viruses





Need only one or two viral cells to cause illness
Can only multiply within the living cells of the body it
invades
Do not survive long outside the host body
Breaks through the immune system’s defences
Cannot be killed by antibiotics but immunisation can
prevent some viral diseases

9. Fungi / parasites
Fungi
 Appears in the form of moulds and yeast
 Thrush is an example
Parasites
 Examples include lice, fleas, scabies and
threadworm

10. Infections common with needle
stick injuries / contamination

Lock Jaw (Tetanus)

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis C

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)

11. Lock Jaw (Tetanus)





An acute infectious disease of the central nervous
system caused by the toxins of the clostridium tetani
Common in soil, human and animal faeces and digestive
tracts of humans and animals
Infection may follow puncture wounds, bites, splinters,
burns, lacerations and fractures
Symptoms include muscle spasm, stiffness of facial
muscles, difficulty breathing or convulsions
Treatment requires tetanus antitoxin with immunisation
and booster shots

12. Hepatitis
Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver
 Symptoms include: Tiredness, flu like symptoms,
muscle aches, loss of appetite, nausea, jaundice,
abdominal pain, aversion to cigarettes and alcohol,
cirrhosis and liver failure
 Treatment involves rest, avoiding alcohol, antiviral
drugs and vaccination


13. Strain
Transmission
Does it persist?
Hepatitis A & E
Poor hygiene, Eating
and drinking infected
water/food
No
Hepatitis B
Exchange of body
fluids
Can cause chronic
infection
Hepatitis C
By exchanging body
fluids or transfusion
of contaminated
blood
Often causes chronic
infection
Hepatitis D
Exchange of body
fluids
Often causes chronic
infection
Hepatitis

14. HIV





(Human immunodeficiency virus)
HIV is a virus that infects and can kill certain cells in
the immune system
It is carried in the blood and other body fluids
(though rarely saliva or tears)
It is spread during sexual intercourse, sharing
needles or mother to baby
Symptoms include: fever, weight loss, swollen
glands, white patches in mouth
Treatment – drugs to fight infection

15. How could this effect me?
Hepatitis A can survive can survive outside the body
for several months
 Hepatitis B can remain infectious for up to a week
outside the body
 Hepatitis C can live outside the body for up to 4 days
 HIV can only survive a few hours outside the body in
“wet” spillages


16. How could this effect me?
Potential risk of infection following an injury from an
infected needle is approximately:
42% for tetanus
 30% for Hepatitis B
 3% for Hepatitis C
 0.3% for HIV


17. Can I be vaccinated?
Hepatitis B vaccine available as 3 injections at
monthly intervals followed by a blood test
 Hepatitis A vaccine – single injection
 Tetanus – 3 injections at monthly intervals

Hepatitis C – no vaccine currently available
 HIV – no vaccine currently available
(all can be done at your local doctor or health centre)


18. How can I protect myself?
Participate in training related to the disposal of
sharps and body fluids
 Help you employer select and evaluate devices that
reduce the risk of injury
 Only use supplied and recommended PPE
 Discuss vaccinations with your Health and safety
advisor/officer


19. How can I protect myself?






Avoid trying to recap needles
Plan for safe handling and disposal of needles and/or
body fluid spillages
Promptly dispose of all used needles in the appropriate
container
Report all needle stick injuries or contamination to
ensure you receive appropriate aftercare
Tell your manager about any needle stick or body fluid
hazards you may see
Remember to fill in the accident book if any incident or
injury occurs

20. How can I protect myself?
Risk assessment is a vital step before starting any work
procedure. You are required to assess what is
needed to protect yourself and others from
infection. Make sure these steps are in place before
you begin the task.
Some risk assessments may be written down already
but some may need to be done on the spot to deal
with unexpected situations

21. Where biohazards may be found
Derelict Buildings

22. Where biohazards may be found
Void properties

23. Where biohazards may be found
Disused areas

24. Where biohazards may be found
Less common but still used:
 Public toilets
 Children’s parks and play areas
 Train stations
 Park benches
 Disused garages
 Church yards
 Temporary accommodation
 Cells

25. Where biohazards may be found
And don’t forget..
 General toilet areas
 First aid / treatment rooms
 Eating areas

26. Emergency action in the event
of a needle stick injury

In the event of a cut,
needle stick injury or
splash:
◦ Wash skin thoroughly
with soap under running
water
◦ If bleeding, encourage
bleeding before washing.
Never suck a wound!
◦ Cover skin with a
waterproof dressing
◦ Report the incident to
your line manager
◦ Seek medical advice
◦ If possible take the
needle (sealed in a box)
or chemical sample
when seeking medical
advice

27. Sharps Collection
Equipment & PPE

A Sharps collection kit
should consist of the
following items:

Copy of the Collection
Procedures

Litter picker or plastic tongs

Empty Sharps Containers

Sterile Wipes

Medical Gloves

Approved Sharps Gloves

28. Sharps Collection
Procedure
Safe Recovery Procedure
 Use only appropriate
PPE & Equipment


Keep away from body
Place directly into
Sharps Container

29. A Typical Sharps Collection
Procedure
Example Collection Procedure

Staff should collect and
check the Sharps collection
kit
Staff should always use
the equipment provided
to reduce the possibility
of injury

Preventing Needle
Stick injuries is the best
way of protecting
yourself from infection


If there are any items of
equipment missing from the
kit You Must report the
shortage to your Supervisor
immediately

When staff reach the
location of the Sharp they
should proceed with extreme
caution

30. Cleaning Body Fluid Spillages
Equipment
Requirements:
'Clean-up' kits can be provided by
your Supervisor or Manager
which should typically contain:






Latex gloves in perfect
condition,
A disposable
polythene apron,
Granules for absorbing
spillages,
Disinfectant cleanser spray,
Disinfectant handwipes,
Yellow disposal bag

31. Body Fluids Procedure
General instructions that
apply to all fluid clean ups.
 Always wear all protective
gear provided.
 Follow instructions
carefully on all absorption
products.
 Use only the yellow
biohazard bags to dispose
of waste.
 Check with your supervisor
for specific disposal
instructions.

Principles of the cleaning procedure:
•
ALWAYS assume any body fluids
may contain disease causing agents
•
There should be no physical
contact between them and the
cleaner's body
•
Infection hazards will be
destroyed by the disinfectant in a
short time e.g. half an hour
•
Body fluid spills and sharps etc
must be treated as
biohazard/clinical waste.
•
Read all instructions carefully
before handling any fluids

32. -
Body Fluid and Sharps
Actions
5.
DISCARD SHARPS: solid materials
1.
DO NOTHING: initially carefully
survey the affected area.
2.
DISCOVERY: on discovering any
“Sharps” or “Body Fluids”, isolate
the affected area.
3.
Do not clean until adequately
stocked 'Clean-up' kit is available.
4.
PROTECT YOURSELF: wear the
plastic apron and put on
disposable latex gloves forthwith.
If gloves become damaged in the
operation replace them
immediately (from the 'Clean-up'
kit).
should be removed using the Scoop
and Spatula provided in the kit and
placed directly into the 'Sharpsafe'
container; alternatively and for
sharps - needles/glass - use forceps.
After use, decontaminate
implements by spraying with the
disinfectant and leave soaking, do
not dry them.
6.
BODY FLUID SPILLAGES: follow
instructions given in the 'Clean-up'
kit:-
7.
ABSORB: body fluids
absorbent granules,
with
the
8.
REMOVE GRANULES: collect with a
Scoop and Spatula or similar and
discard into the yellow disposal bag,

33. 9.
10.
11.
Body Fluid and Sharps
Actions:
12. FINAL DISPOSAL: the yellow
DISINFECT: place all
contaminated items in the
yellow disposal bag, also
spray disinfect the
contaminated site but leave
for a few minutes. Dispose of
any non reusable items in
the yellow disposal bag.
REMOVE APRON and
GLOVES: in that order, dump
into the yellow disposal bag,
CLEAN HANDS with the
Disinfectant-wipes, and
discard into the yellow
disposal bag.
disposal bag should be sealed
up and put in robust
container pending disposal.
Any spillage en route or into
the container, will also need
to be cleaned in the same
manner as described
previously. Ask your Manager
to arrange for its disposal.
13.
The 'Sharpsafe' container
should be transported to and
stored in a safe place for
future use or ask your
Manager to arrange for its
disposal.

34. Additional guidelines for
assessment
1.
2.
Equipment used for body
fluid spillages should not be
used for any other tasks
Any action which leads or
may lead to risk of personal
infection or cross
contamination will mean
immediate failure of the task
3.
4.
5.
6.
Body fluids include: Blood,
Urine, Vomit, Faeces,
Sputum etc.
Contaminated items
include: Nappies, Sanitary
towels, Contraceptives,
Clothing, Dressings,
Needles, Syringes etc.
You must show
competence in removing
one item from 3. and one
item from 4.
Spillages should be
reported to the
appropriate person

35. Practical task – The removal of body
fluid spillages and contaminated items