Home › Forums › Infexion Connexion › Consumption of food stuff in ward areas › Re: Consumption of food stuff in ward areas [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]
Author:
Glenys Harrington
Email:
infexion@ozemail.com.au
Organisation:
Infection Control Consultancy (ICC)
State:
Jenny,
Eating or putting anything in your mouth while working in a clinical area
can result in hand contamination with mouth organisms.
Given that HH compliance is not always optimal this would be a rationale
reason why eating in clinical areas is not appropriate on a routine basis
and even more important during times of gastrointestinal (usually viral)
outbreaks.
Regards
Glenys
Glenys Harrington
Consultant
Infection Control Consultancy (ICC)
PO Box 5202
Middle Park
Victoria, 3206
Australia
H: +61 3 96902216
M: +61 404 816 434
ABN 47533508426
Of Matthias Maiwald (KKH)
areas [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]
Sue,
Out of interest, do you happen to know the reference for the OHS
regulations, and what they specifically say about food consumption in ward
areas?
I agree it is a sad state that one should need evidence or even a “risk
management framework” (what a mouthful) for what should normally come with
common sense.
Has anyone tried “evidence reversal” — actually in my opinion the right and
scientifically correct way to place the onus for evidence in such situations
— to say, here are the OHS regulations and here is what common sense and
microbiological principles tell you, and now YOU show me the evidence that
breaking the rules is NOT associated with an increased risk?
Best regards, Matthias.
—
Matthias Maiwald, MD, FRCPA
Consultant in Microbiology
Adj. Assoc. Prof., Natl. Univ. Singapore
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
100 Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 229899
Tel. +65 6394 8725 (Office)
Tel. +65 6394 1389 (Laboratory)
Fax +65 6394 1387
Hi Helen,
It is such a shame that you can only argue a point of common sense with
evidence.
I agree the ‘evidence’ is poor in this area but OHS (Workplace Health and
Safety) provides the opportunity for employers and employees to review real
and possible risks of eating in the work area. The Australian Infection
Control Guidelines do not address this issue specifically but do provide you
with a risk management framework to use for developing your position on this
for your organisation.
Some of the risks to be considered include – vermin, food/drink
contamination, odour, spills that can create slip and trip hazards,
professionalism, hand hygiene, cleaning (increased requirements),
disease/infection transmission.
Options to consider – provision of a designated place to consume
food/drinks, staffing allocation sufficient to cover breaks, governance of
decisions made, consultation with those affected.
Good luck,
Sue
Sue Greig
Senior Project Officer
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
GPO Box 5480 Sydney NSW 2001 | Level 7, 1 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst NSW
2010
( direct (02) 9126 3565 | ( switchboard (02) 9126 3600 | 6 (02) 9126 3613 |
Email
sue.greig@safetyandquality.gov.au |
http://www.safetyandquality.gov.au
Helen Scott
Sent by: ACIPC Infexion Connexion
31/07/2012 08:56 AM
Please respond to
ACIPC Infexion Connexion
To
cc
Subject
Has anyone got anymore information on this please? I’d like to provide
evidence and documentation to follow up my concerns about the same thing.
Thanks,
Helen.
Helen Scott
Clinical Nurse Specialist |
Infection Control |
Anaesthetics & Recovery
Nepean Private Hospital
Kingswood, NSW.
Tel 02 4732 7333 |
helen.scott@healthscope.com.au
Please consider the environment before printing this message
>>> On 10/07/2012 at 12:57 pm, in message
, “Breen,
Jennifer (MH)” wrote:
Hi All,
We are having some issues with staff consuming food in their ward area,
particularly at the staff base and in the corridors. We have located
articles about transmission of Hepatitis A but are hoping to source articles
to provide further evidence . Our current hospital guidelines are fairly
general in this area and pertain more to an outbreak of gastro .
Kind Regards
Jenny Breen
Clinical Nurse Consultant
Infection Control
Maroondah Hospital
Tel: 98713175 Pager 0111
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