Learning Guide
Infection control
20826 Describe infection control requirements in a health
or wellbeing setting
Level 2
3 credits
28535 Demonstrate knowledge of procedures for infection
control in a health or wellbeing setting
Level 3
4 credits
Name:
Workplace:
Issue 3.1
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Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................1
Four types of germs that cause infection ...................................................................................2
Causes of infection: viruses ....................................................................................................2
Causes of infection: bacteria ..................................................................................................3
Causes of infection: fungi .......................................................................................................4
Causes of infection: parasites .................................................................................................4
How to prevent infections spreading .........................................................................................6
Direct contact .........................................................................................................................6
Indirect contact .......................................................................................................................7
Airborne ..................................................................................................................................8
Vector-borne.........................................................................................................................10
The importance of keeping your hands clean ......................................................................10
Using personal protective equipment (PPE) ........................................................................14
Handling waste .....................................................................................................................18
First aid procedures ..................................................................................................................21
Accidents with sharps and splashes .....................................................................................22
Reporting risk of infection ........................................................................................................24
You have finished! ....................................................................................................................26
Infection control (US 20826, 28535) Learning Guide © Careerforce – Issue 3.1 | July 2015
Infection control (US 20826, 28535) Learning Guide © Careerforce – Issue 3.1 | July 2015
Introduction
In your job, you are around and helping lots of people. Because of this,
it is very important that you know about the types of germs there are
and how those germs are spread.
Germs can cause infections and make people sick. By taking care in
everything you do, you can prevent infection from spreading.
This learning guide gives you information about the different types of
germs that exist. It also tells you what you need to do to prevent these
germs spreading infection and how to report infections.
How to use your learning guide
This learning guide supports your learning and prepares you for the unit
standard assessment.
This learning guide relates to the following unit standards:

20826 Describe infection control requirements in a health or
wellbeing setting (level 2, 3 credits).

28535 Demonstrate knowledge of procedures for infection control
in a health or wellbeing setting (level 3, 4 credits)
This guide is yours to keep. Make it your own by writing notes that help
you remember things, or where you need to find more information.
Follow the tips in the notes column.
You may use highlighter pens to show important information and ideas,
and think about how this information applies to your work.
You might find it helpful to talk to your colleagues or supervisor.
Complete this learning guide before you start the assessment.

If you are doing the level 2 infection control assessment, you will be
asked to describe infection control.

If you are doing the level 3 infection control assessment, you will
demonstrate how you apply infection control procedures.
What you will learn
This learning guide will help you understand:

the four different types of germs.

how to prevent infections being spread.

what first aid to apply in your workplace.

what risks of infection you need to report.
Infection control (US 20826, 28535) Learning Guide © Careerforce – Issue 3.1 | July 2015
1
Four types of germs that cause
infection
Germs are everywhere. They are:

in the air.

on food, plants and animals.

in dirt and water.

on objects.

on and inside our bodies.
Most germs are too small to see without the help of a microscope.
There are many useful germs, for example, the bacteria that help us
digest food. But there are also problem germs that can cause harm.
Germs can cause infections. An infection happens when germs get into
the body and start making more of themselves.
Infections can cause disease. A disease is when the cells in the body are
damaged by the germs and the person becomes sick.
There are four types of germs that can cause infections:

Viruses can cause infections such as colds and chickenpox.

Bacteria can cause infections such as bronchitis or appendicitis.

Fungi can cause infections such as athlete’s foot and ringworm.

Parasites can cause infections such as giardia or head lice.
Causes of infection: viruses
Viruses can cause colds.
Infection control (US 20826, 28535) Learning Guide © Careerforce – Issue 3.1 | July 2015
2
What is a virus?
A virus is the smallest germ. It can only be seen with a microscope. It
needs to attach itself to a living cell before it can make another one of
itself. It will usually attach itself to a certain kind of living cell. For
example, a cold virus will only attach itself to cells that exist in parts of
the body like the nose and throat.
Because a virus cannot make more of itself on its own, it won’t live long
away from living cells. On a hard surface, like a metal handle, a virus
might live for one or two days. But if someone coughs on the door
handle, the virus is kept safe by mucus from the cough, and it can live
for much longer.
Viruses can be swallowed or breathed in (for example, when someone
coughs or sneezes), taken in by eyes or spread by insect bites or sexual
contact.
Causes of infection: bacteria
Bacteria can cause sore throats.
What are bacteria?
Bacteria are tiny living things made up of single cells. They can make
more of themselves.
There are thousands of different types of bacteria and they live
everywhere. Only a few types will cause diseases.
Bacteria can be breathed in or swallowed. They may also get inside the
body through a break in the skin, like a cut, or through sexual contact.
Infection control (US 20826, 28535) Learning Guide © Careerforce – Issue 3.1 | July 2015
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Causes of infection: fungi
Fungi can cause athlete's foot.
What are fungi?
Fungi are organisms. Organisms are single-celled life forms. They are
not plants or animals. Fungi are things like mushrooms and the mould
that grows on bread. They live in damp, warm places. Some fungi, such
as mushrooms or the mould on bread, are easy to see. Others, such as
thrush, can only be seen with a microscope.
Fungi make copies of themselves by spreading tiny spores that can
cause infections on or inside the body. Some types of fungi, like thrush
(also known as candida), are always in and on the body. They only
become a problem when the body can’t control them. A thrush
infection can happen when people take antibiotics and their body’s
natural immune systems are low. Immune systems are parts of our
body that help us fight against infections and diseases.
More info
Spores are very tiny,
seed-like cells that help
a plant or microorganism reproduce.
Causes of infection: parasites
What are parasites?
Parasites are very small living
things that live on or inside
another organism and cause
problems for that organism.
Infection control (US 20826, 28535) Learning Guide © Careerforce – Issue 3.1 | July 2015
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Parasites can live on your skin and get into your body through your
mouth or skin. The main parasites that exist in New Zealand are: head
lice, threadworms and giardia. In some countries, insects carry parasites
and can spread diseases.
Write
In the boxes below, write down what you have learnt about different types of
germs.
Viruses are …
They cause infections like …
Bacteria are …
They cause infections like …
Fungi are …
They cause infections like …
Parasites are …
They cause infections like …
Infection control (US 20826, 28535) Learning Guide © Careerforce – Issue 3.1 | July 2015
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How to prevent infections spreading
There are four different ways of spreading infections. These are:

direct contact.

indirect contact.

airborne.

vector-borne.
Direct contact
Direct contact is when people
spread germs by touching each
other.
Examples of infections spread by direct contact are:

chickenpox.

sexually transmitted infections.

head lice.

vomiting and diarrhoea.
How to help prevent an infection being spread through
direct contact
To help prevent an infection being spread through direct contact:

wash your hands often.

try not to touch another person.

use personal protective equipment (PPE).
Personal protective equipment helps stop you getting and spreading
infections. It protects you when you are working with infected skin and
body fluids.
Infection control (US 20826, 28535) Learning Guide © Careerforce – Issue 3.1 | July 2015
6
Examples of PPE are:

gloves.

aprons.

glasses.

gowns.

hats.

face masks.

alcohol hand rubs.
Write
Fill in the table below to show:

an example situation at your workplace where you might spread an
infection through direct contact.

how you would prevent the spread of infection in this situation.
Task where I might spread an
infection through direct contact
What I would do to stop the spread
of infection
Indirect contact
Indirect contact is when germs are
spread by touching objects that the
germs are sitting on, such as door
handles, cups, cutlery, telephones or
dirty clothing and bedding.
Examples of infections spread by indirect contact are:

colds and flu.

skin infections.

athlete’s foot.
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How to help prevent an infection being spread through
indirect contact
To help prevent an infection being spread through indirect contact:

wash your hands often.

wear gloves when you have to touch anything that might be
infected, for example, soiled bedding.

clean items that might have germs on them.

don’t share things like cups, cutlery, hair brushes or towels.

sneeze into your elbow.
Write
Fill in the table below to show:

an example situation at your workplace where you might spread an
infection through indirect contact.

how you would prevent the spread of infection in this situation.
Task where I might spread an
infection through indirect contact
What I would do to stop the spread
of infection
Airborne
Airborne means germs are spread
from someone when they laugh,
cough, sneeze or just are close
enough to breathe on another
person. A germ moves on dust or
very tiny drops of water in the air.
These droplets can drift in the air for
a long time and be carried a long
way. An infection may be spread if
another person inhales the droplets
that carry the germs.
Infection control (US 20826, 28535) Learning Guide © Careerforce – Issue 3.1 | July 2015
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Examples of infections that are airborne are:

colds and flu.

measles.

meningitis.

mumps.
How to help prevent an infection being spread through
the air
To help prevent an infection being spread through the air:

don’t get too close to the person who has the infection.

cover your mouth or nose when you cough or sneeze.

stay at home if you are unwell.

wear a mask.
Write
Fill in the table below to show:

an example situation at your workplace where you might spread an
airborne infection.

how you would prevent the spread of infection in this situation.
Task where I might spread an
airborne infection
What I would do to stop the spread
of infection
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Vector-borne
Vector-borne means germs are
spread by an animal or insect that
can carry an infection to others but
will not be infected itself. Examples
of vectors are mosquitoes, flies and
ticks.
More info
Mosquitos is said like
this: mos – key – toes
Examples of infections that are vector-borne are:

malaria.

dengue fever.
How to help prevent an infection being spread by vectors
There is very little chance in New Zealand of you getting a vector-borne
infection.

If you travel overseas, you can use sprays to stop the insects coming
near or landing on you. These sprays are called insect repellents.

Doctors can give you a vaccine or you can take tablets to protect
against some vector-borne infections. For example, you can take
tablets for malaria.
The importance of keeping your hands clean
Your hands are one of the most common ways to spread germs.
Did you know that the best way you
can prevent germs spreading is by
washing your hands?
Talk
Talk to your
supervisor about
how, when and what
you have to do in
your workplace to
keep your hands
hygienic.
Hygienic is said like
this: hi – jeen – ik
Infection control (US 20826, 28535) Learning Guide © Careerforce – Issue 3.1 | July 2015
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When you have germs on your hands, it is easy to pass them on to other
people when you do things like shake hands. The other person can then
easily infect themselves by just touching their mouths or eyes.
What to use to clean your hands
Hand-cleaning products
There are different ways to keep
your hands clean and make it less
likely that you will pass on germs.
This is called being hygienic. You can
use liquid soap or alcohol-based
hand rubs to clean your hands.
More info
Alcohol-based hand
rub is mostly made up
of alcohol.
When to clean your hands
Clean your hands:

when you start work.

when you finish work.

before touching your face, eyes, nose and mouth.

before and after you touch a person you are supporting.

after you have touched any mucous membranes.

if you have broken skin, or skin rashes or infections.

after touching contaminated items, such as soiled sheets.

before you put on gloves.

after taking off gloves.

after using the toilet or changing incontinence pads.

before preparing or eating food.

before and after helping the person you support to eat or drink.

after touching an animal, such as a pet.

before and after giving medications.

before and after applying creams.

after handling chemicals, such as cleaning fluids.

whenever your hands look dirty.
Infection control (US 20826, 28535) Learning Guide © Careerforce – Issue 3.1 | July 2015
More info
Contaminated means
that something is
unclean because it has
been in contact with
something else that is
unclean.
11
How to wash your hands
1 Roll your sleeves up to your
elbows.
Remove watches or jewellery, if
possible. This will protect the
jewellery from being damaged, it will
help you keep your hands clean and
it will protect the person you support
from being hurt by any sharp edges
or hard surfaces on the jewellery.
2 Wet your hands with warm
water.
3 Place a small amount of liquid
soap on your hands.
4 Rub your hands together to
form a lather.
Make sure you clean under your
fingernails, around and between your
fingers, around your fingertips and
thumbs and down the sides of your
hands.
Infection control (US 20826, 28535) Learning Guide © Careerforce – Issue 3.1 | July 2015
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5 Rub your hands in this way to
clean them for at least 10-15
seconds.
6 Rinse your hands well using
plenty of warm running water.
7 If you can, use the towel to
turn off the tap so you don’t
contaminate your clean hands.
8 Dry your hands thoroughly.
(Steps 7 and 8 can be done in either
order.)
How to use alcohol-based hand rubs
Follow these steps if you are using alcohol-based hand rubs to clean
your hands:
1
Check your hands for soiling or blood and body fluids. Only use an
alcohol-based hand rub if you can’t see any soiling.
2
Put a small amount of gel (about the size of a 10 cent piece) on the
palm of one hand and rub your hands together.
3
Cover all the surfaces of your hands and fingers, including the areas
around and under your fingernails.
4
Continue rubbing your hands together until the alcohol dries (about
15-25 seconds).
5
Make sure your hands are completely dry before putting on gloves
or helping the person you support.
Infection control (US 20826, 28535) Learning Guide © Careerforce – Issue 3.1 | July 2015
More info
You need to wash
your hands with soap
and water when you
feel a sticky build-up
on your hands.
Alcohol-based hand
rubs will not help
with sticky build-ups.
13
Write
Fill in the table below to show:

an example situation at your workplace where you would need to keep
your hands clean.

how you would prevent the spread of infection in this situation.
Task where I would need to keep
my hands clean
What I would do to stop the spread
of infection
Using personal protective equipment (PPE)
Your skin is your body’s first way of stopping germs getting into your
body and giving you an infection. If your skin is broken or cut, it is easier
for you to get an infection. It is important to cover cuts with plasters,
but sometimes you might not notice a tiny cut.
You can also help stop an infection spreading by:

wearing gloves.

wearing a face mask.

covering your hair with a hat.

wearing goggles or glasses.

wearing an apron or gown.
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
helps protect you from germs that
could give you an infection.
Infection control (US 20826, 28535) Learning Guide © Careerforce – Issue 3.1 | July 2015
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Wearing gloves
The best thing you can do to stop germs reaching your skin is to wear
gloves. Gloves will help stop you getting or spreading an infection.
There are many times when you will need to wear gloves when you are
supporting a person.
The most important time to wear gloves is when you are dealing with
body fluids, including:

touching body fluids or broken or damaged skin.

touching things that have been contaminated by body fluids, such as
sheets from a soiled bed.

removing continence products.
You also need to use gloves when you:

apply creams and ointments.

have broken skin, a rash or an infection on your hands.

wipe up spills.

handle soiled items.

are cleaning, especially the bathroom and toilet areas.
Talk
Talk to your
supervisor about
when you should
wear gloves in your
workplace.
Your workplace may have its own procedures that you should follow.
Using gloves correctly
It is important that you use gloves correctly. The steps for using gloves
are:
1 Wash your hands.
2 Put on the gloves.
3 Finish the tasks.
4 Take off your gloves the right way.
5 Throw away the gloves.
6 Wash your hands.
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Taking off gloves the right way
You must take off your dirty gloves in a safe way to protect your hands
from germs and prevent infection from spreading. The steps to taking
off gloves safely are shown below.
Taking off dirty gloves in a safe way
Step 1:
Turn the first glove inside out as you
take it off.
Step 2:
Crumple this first glove into the other
hand that still has a glove on.
Infection control (US 20826, 28535) Learning Guide © Careerforce – Issue 3.1 | July 2015
16
Step 3:
Slip the fingers of the ungloved hand
inside the gloved hand to help peel
the second glove off over the top of
the first crumpled glove. This bundles
the two gloves together.
You should now have all the soiled or
contaminated sides of the gloves
safely covered up so that they cannot
be touched.
Infection control (US 20826, 28535) Learning Guide © Careerforce – Issue 3.1 | July 2015
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Step 4:
Place the soiled or contaminated
gloves in a plastic bag. Tie the top of
the bag closed and then throw it
away.
Write
Fill in the table below to show:

an example of a task at your workplace where you would need to use
PPE.

how you would prevent the spread of infection in this situation.
Task where I would need to use
PPE
What I would do to stop the spread
of infection
Handling waste
There are many things in your workplace that you will need to throw
away (dispose of). You need to dispose of waste in a safe way to
prevent the spread of infection.
Items you may need to dispose of include:

body fluids (including blood, urine, vomit, saliva and semen).

the contents of urinals, pans and commodes.

continence products and sanitary napkins.

catheters, colostomy bags, dressings and other medical waste.

used medical instruments, such as scissors and needles.
Infection control (US 20826, 28535) Learning Guide © Careerforce – Issue 3.1 | July 2015
Talk
Talk to your
supervisor about
how, when and what
you have to do in
your workplace to
dispose of waste.
18
Write
Find out how you are expected to dispose of these items in your workplace.
Write your workplace procedures in the table below for two of these items.
An example is shown.
Item to be disposed of
What I do to dispose of it
Example:
Sharps
Put them in the sharps container.
Take care when disposing of items
that could spread germs and
infections.
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Handling soiled items
If you are unsure how clean a piece of linen is, treat it as if it were
contaminated. Wear gloves and, if the linen is really dirty, wear an
apron.
Write
Fill in the table below to show:

an example of a task situation at your workplace where you would need
to handle soiled items.

how you would prevent the spread of infection in this situation.
Task where I would need to handle
soiled items
What I would do to stop the spread
of infection
Talk
Talk to your
supervisor about
what procedures are
in place in your
workplace for dealing
with used bedding
and soiled clothing
and gowns.
Infection control (US 20826, 28535) Learning Guide © Careerforce – Issue 3.1 | July 2015
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First aid procedures
Sometimes accidents happen and people need first aid. You might:

get injured by a needle or another sharp item, such as a knife,
broken glass or a pair of scissors.

touch something that is contaminated.

have to deal with a splash or spill of body fluids.
Your workplace will have policies and procedures in place for dealing
with accidents and incidents that involve sharps, spills of body products,
or splashes of blood or body fluid on you. Check with your supervisor so
you know what these are.
Infection control (US 20826, 28535) Learning Guide © Careerforce – Issue 3.1 | July 2015
More info
Find out from your
supervisor what you
need to do when
there is an accident in
your workplace that
needs first aid.
21
Accidents with sharps and splashes
Needles and other sharps
If you are injured by a needle or other sharp item, you need to:
1
immediately rinse the skin around the injured area with lots of
water.
2
clean any broken skin with soap and water or a skin disinfectant,
such as iodine if it is available.
3
report the incident to your supervisor and see your doctor straight
away.
4
fill in an accident or incident report.
Spills and splashes
Talk
Talk to your
supervisor about
what policies and
procedures are in
place in your
workplace for dealing
with accidents and
incidents that involve
sharps, body fluid
splashes and blood
spills.
Sometimes while supporting a person, you may be splashed with blood
or body fluids, or you may touch something with your bare hands that is
contaminated.
If you touch blood or other body fluids, or these fluids splash into your
eyes, nose, mouth or onto broken skin, you need to:
1
immediately rinse the area with fresh water.
2
clean your skin with soap and water and/or alcohol based hand rub.
3
report the incident to your supervisor.
Infection control (US 20826, 28535) Learning Guide © Careerforce – Issue 3.1 | July 2015
22
Write
What do you know about dealing with accidents and incidents that result
from sharps or splashes or spills? Write this down in the spaces below.
Sharps
Body fluid splashes
Blood spills
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23
Reporting risk of infection
An important part of preventing the spread of infection is letting people
know if there is a risk. This is called reporting the risks. If you are unwell
and you go to work, you risk passing the infection on to the people you
work with. Infections such as flu spread easily and can be dangerous,
especially for people who have other medical problems.
What to do if you are unwell
There are signs in your body that
mean you have an infection. Some
of these signs are:

a very high temperature of over
38°C.

shivering or feeling cold all the
time, or feeling very cold and
then very hot.

a sore throat.

a rash, swelling or redness.

having a cough for more than a
week.

diarrhoea.

vomiting.
Talk
Talk to your
supervisor about
what you need to do
if you are unwell.
Your workplace will have policies and procedures on what you should
do if you are sick. If you feel unwell or become sick while you are at
work, you must tell your supervisor.
Risks if the person you support has an infection
An infection will change the condition of any person you support. It is a
risk to their health and the health of other people around them.
What is the reporting procedure?
Report any change in the person’s condition as soon as you notice it.
You might report the change by:

talking to your supervisor.

completing a written report during a handover.

talking about it in a team meeting.
Infection control (US 20826, 28535) Learning Guide © Careerforce – Issue 3.1 | July 2015
Talk
Talk to your
supervisor about how
you need to report
infections in your
workplace.
24
Example report form
Talk
What are the risks to your workplace?
In places like hospitals or rest homes, there are policies and procedures
for helping prevent infections being spread.
Remember, how well an infection is controlled depends on how early
the risk is reported and then what is done about it.
Infection control (US 20826, 28535) Learning Guide © Careerforce – Issue 3.1 | July 2015
Talk to your
supervisor about your
workplace’s policies
and procedures for
preventing infections
being spread.
25
You have finished!
Great work – you’ve finished this learning guide.
Now you know:

the four different types of germs.

how to prevent infections being spread.

what first aid to apply in your workplace.

what risks of infection you need to report.
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26