We are all responsible for the prevention and control of infection. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 puts a general duty on an employer to protect the health and safety of employees. However, staff will also have a duty to comply with infection control procedures and take appropriate action to protect themselves.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence has guidelines on infection control (https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg2) which include these standard principles:
Many measures taken to protect patients using these principles will also protect staff. However, the risks staff face may be significantly different to the risks faced by individuals as staff tend to be generally healthy, which will make them less vulnerable to many infections.
Rydyn ni gyd yn gyfrifol am atal a rheoli heintiau. Mae Deddf Iechyd a Diogelwch yn y Gwaith 1974 yn gosod dyletswydd gyffredinol ar gyflogwr i amddiffyn iechyd a diogelwch gweithwyr cyflogedig. Fodd bynnag, bydd gan staff ddyletswydd hefyd i gydymffurfio â gweithdrefnau rheoli heintiau a chymryd camau priodol i'w hamddiffyn eu hunain.
Mae gan y Sefydliad Cenedlaethol dros Ragoriaeth Glinigol ganllawiau ar reoli heintiau (https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg2) sy'n cynnwys yr egwyddorion safonol hyn:
Bydd llawer o'r mesurau a gymerir i ddiogelu cleifion gan ddefnyddio'r egwyddorion hyn hefyd yn amddiffyn staff. Fodd bynnag, gallai'r risgiau sy'n wynebu staff fod yn wahanol iawn i'r risgiau a wynebir gan unigolion gan fod staff yn tueddu i fod yn iach ar y cyfan, a fydd yn eu gwneud yn llai tebygol o ddal llawer o heintiau.
A dirty working environment is one of the factors that may contribute towards infection rates. High standards of cleanliness will help to reduce the risk of cross-infection.
Safe handling and disposal of sharps is also important. To reduce the risk of injury and exposure to blood borne viruses, it is vital that sharps are used safely and disposed of carefully, following the workplace’s agreed policies on safe working procedures. Employers should provide training for all health care workers.
Safe handling and disposal of chemical waste is important and the workplace should have a written policy on waste disposal.
This should include colour coding of bags used for waste, for example:
All health care and support staff should be instructed in the safe handling of waste, including disposal and dealing with spillages.
Managing blood and bodily fluids spillages should be dealt with quickly, following the workplace’s written policy for dealing with spillages.
Decontaminating equipment is important as inadequate decontamination has frequently been associated with outbreaks of infection in hospitals.
It is vital that re-usable equipment is scrupulously decontaminated between each patient.
To ensure that control of infection is maintained at a high level, all health care staff must be aware of the implications of safe decontamination and their responsibilities to their patients, themselves and their colleagues.
It’s important to achieve and maintain a clean clinical environment. Cleaning removes contaminants, including dust and soil, large numbers of micro-organisms and the organic matter that may shield them, for example, faeces, blood and other bodily fluids.
Mae amgylchedd gwaith budr yn un o'r ffactorau a all gyfrannu tuag at gyfraddau heintiau. Bydd safonau glendid uchel yn helpu i leihau'r perygl o draws-heintio.
Mae trin a chael gwared ar offer miniog yn ddiogel hefyd yn bwysig. Er mwyn lleihau'r risg o anaf ac amlygiad i firysau sy’n cael eu cludo yn y gwaed, mae'n hanfodol bod offer miniog yn cael eu defnyddio'n ddiogel a'u gwaredu'n ofalus, gan ddilyn polisïau y cytunwyd arnynt yn y gweithle ar weithdrefnau gweithio diogel. Dylai cyflogwyr ddarparu hyfforddiant ar gyfer pob gweithiwr gofal iechyd.
Mae trin a gwaredu gwastraff cemegol yn ddiogel yn bwysig a dylai fod gan y gweithle bolisi ysgrifenedig ar waredu gwastraff.
Dylai hyn gynnwys codio bagiau a ddefnyddir ar gyfer gwastraff yn ôl eu lliw, er enghraifft:
Dylid rhoi cyfarwyddyd i bob aelod o staff gofal iechyd a chymorth wrth drin gwastraff yn ddiogel, gan gynnwys ei waredu a thrin ac unrhyw achos o ollwng hylifau.
Dylid ymdrin â rheoli achosion o ollwng gwaed a hylifau’r corff yn gyflym, gan ddilyn polisi ysgrifenedig y gweithle ar gyfer ymdrin â gorlifiadau.
Mae dadhalogi cyfarpar yn bwysig gan fod dadlygru annigonol yn aml wedi bod yn gysylltiedig ag achosion o heintiau mewn ysbytai.
Mae'n hanfodol bod cyfarpar y gellir ei ailddefnyddio yn cael ei ddadhalogi'n drylwyr rhwng pob claf.
Er mwyn sicrhau bod gweithdrefnau rheoli heintiau yn cael eu cynnal ar lefel uchel, mae'n rhaid i bob aelod o staff gofal iechyd fod yn ymwybodol o oblygiadau dadhalogi diogel a'u cyfrifoldebau i'w cleifion, iddyn nhw eu hunain ac i’w cydweithwyr.
Mae'n bwysig sicrhau a chynnal amgylchedd clinigol glân. Mae glanhau yn cael gwared ar halogyddion, gan gynnwys llwch a phridd, nifer fawr o ficro-organebau a'r deunydd organig a allai eu cuddio, er enghraifft, ysgarthion, gwaed a hylifau corfforol eraill.
One of the most effective ways we have to protect ourselves and others from illness is good personal hygiene.
This means not only washing your hands but also your body. It means being careful not to cough or sneeze on others, cleaning things that you touch if you are unwell, putting items such as tissues into a bin and using protection when you might be at risk of catching an infection.
Personal hygiene, such as bathing or showering, is very much dependent on the culture in which you live. In some cultures, it is expected that you will wash your body daily and use deodorants to stop body smells.
Un o'r ffyrdd mwyaf effeithiol sydd gennym i amddiffyn ein hunain ac eraill rhag salwch yw hylendid personol da.
Yn ogystal â golchi eich dwylo mae hyn hefyd yn golygu golchi eich corff. Mae'n golygu bod yn ofalus i beidio â pheswch neu disian ar eraill, glanhau pethau rydych chi'n eu cyffwrdd os ydych chi'n sâl, rhoi eitemau fel hancesi papur mewn bin a defnyddio dulliau amddiffyn pan fyddwch chi efallai mewn perygl o ddal haint.
Mae hylendid personol, fel ymolchi yn y baddon neu gael cawod, yn dibynnu i raddau helaeth ar y diwylliant rydych chi'n byw ynddo. Mewn rhai diwylliannau, mae disgwyl i chi olchi eich corff bob dydd a defnyddio diaroglyddion i atal arogleuon y corff.
Promoting good hand hygiene has been at the forefront of the NHS’s drive to reduce MRSA cases. Healthcare workers have been encouraged to wash their hands before and after dealing with individual patients, or when they are likely to be contaminated. In doing so, it is likely they are reducing their own risk of acquiring some healthcare-acquired infections as well.
The Five Moments for Hand Hygiene (World Health Organisation Guidelines)
Click on the link below to see the poster developed for hand hygiene.
Mae hyrwyddo hylendid dwylo da wedi bod yn flaenllaw yn ymgyrch y GIG i leihau achosion o MRSA. Mae gweithwyr gofal iechyd wedi cael eu hannog i olchi eu dwylo cyn ac ar ôl delio â chleifion unigol, neu pan fyddant yn debygol o fod wedi'u halogi. Wrth wneud hynny, mae'n debygol eu bod yn lleihau eu risg eu hunain o ddal rhai heintiau a geir mewn gofal iechyd hefyd.
Five Moments for Hand Hygiene (Canllawiau Sefydliad Iechyd y Byd)
Cliciwch ar y linc isod i weld y poster a ddatblygwyd ar gyfer hylendid dwylo.