Hygiene staff indicated that 93 % of recommended policies were in place across the 15 facilities . However , when the students observed behaviours , they noted only 63 % compliance with recommended hand hygiene practices and 66 % compliance with safe injection practices . In 37 % of hand hygiene observations , no hand hygiene was performed . “ Despite high levels of report of hand hygiene education and observed supply availability , observations of hand hygiene and aseptic injection technique showed lack of similarly high behavior compliance ,” the study authors comment . “ This project highlights the importance of assessing both the report of recommended infection prevention policies and practices , as well as behaviour compliance through observational audits . This is critical because there have been outbreaks and infection transmission to patients reported in outpatient settings due to these types of infection prevention breaches , including transmission of hepatitis B and C .”
Medical students assessed prevention policies using an outpatient infection prevention checklist developed by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention ( CDC ) that included 14 topic areas including administrative policies , education and training , occupational health , environment cleaning , hand hygiene , and injection safety . In addition to assessing policies via the checklist , the students evaluated injection safety and hand hygiene practices through direct observations . Each student was asked to observe 10 injections and 20 hand hygiene opportunities at their assigned outpatient practice .
Of the 163 injection safety observations , only 66 % of the preparations complied with all of the recommended infection prevention steps , which included performing hand hygiene , disinfecting the rubber septum , using a new needle and syringe , properly discarding single-dose vials , and dating multi-dose vials upon opening . During the 330 hand hygiene observations , students reported that hand hygiene supplies were available 100 % of the time .
“ These findings highlight the need for ongoing quality improvement initiatives regarding infection prevention policies and practices in outpatient settings ,” conclude the authors .
New Washroom Cleaner of the Year Awards introduced
New for 2017 - the Washroom Cleaner of the Year Awards have replaced the previous Attendant of the Year Awards , provided by Loo of the Year Awards and relate specifically to the dedicated cleaning staff that look after the facilities , rather than the washrooms themselves .
“ As part of changes being introduced to celebrate our 30th Anniversary , we decided that Washroom Cleaner more clearly describes our entrants ’ staff who clean and maintain their washrooms ...” explains Mike Bone , Loo of the Year Awards managing director . “... the original Attendant of the
Year Awards having been introduced some years ago , when public toilets dominated entries and ‘ toilet attendants ’ were employed in most entrants ’ washrooms .”
While the range of gradings and national Loo of the Year Awards and UK / Ireland trophies provide adequate recognition of the washrooms and their providers , it is the people who look after each facility - be they individual washroom cleaners , in-house cleaning teams or external cleaning / FM contractors , who also deserve recognition . All cleaning staff will automatically be entered for Washroom Cleaner of the Year Awards for all entries that are declared as ‘ Full time attended toilets ’ on the Entry Form .
Judging will be completed at the same time as the Loo of the Year Awards inspection and any cleaning staff seen at the time of the unannounced visit are deemed to represent the whole cleaning team . There will be Washroom Cleaner of the Year Award national winners in England , Scotland , Wales and Ireland and overall UK / Ireland trophies .
Individual cleaner national awards & trophies will be presented to the cleaner ( s ) who , in the opinion of the judges , is / are performing a high quality ‘ ambassadorial ’ role for the washroom provider in terms of appearance , attitude , commitment and efficiency .
In-house cleaning team national awards & trophies will be presented to the cleaning team employed by a washroom provider with multiple entries in Loo of the Year Awards who , in the opinion of the judges , are performing a high quality ‘ ambassadorial ’ role for the washroom provider in terms of appearance , attitude , commitment and efficiency . External contractor cleaning team national awards & trophies will be presented to the cleaning contractor company or organisation which , in the opinion of the judges , is providing a high level of service to one or more
Loo of the Year Award entrants . National and UK / Ireland awards and trophies will be presented at the 2017 Event which will be on Friday 8th December , at St Johns Hotel , Solihull .
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