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Re: Consumption of food stuff in ward areas [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

Home Forums Infexion Connexion Consumption of food stuff in ward areas Re: Consumption of food stuff in ward areas [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

#69239
Glenys Harrington
Participant

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

infexion@ozemail.com.au

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

Of Sue.Greig@HEALTH.GOV.AU

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

AICALIST@AICALIST.ORG.AU

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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