12 months of safety for September| Infection Prevention and Control

September is the start of Autumn! Going into the fall season it is good practice to be mindful of ways to prevent and reduce the transmission of communicable diseases. Changing weather and increased indoor activities also pose extra challenges. There are several things that you can do to help prevent the spread of communicable diseases in the workplace:     

  • Stay home if you are not feeling well. 
  • Wash your hands frequently using soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects on a regular basis.
  • Follow cough etiquette by coughing or sneezing into your elbow or a tissue.
  • Use personal protective equipment when required.

Vaccines are an effective measure against preventable disease.  In addition to the measures above, be sure that you are up to date with vaccinations heading into the flu season.  

As always, we’re here to support you. We’ve created a collection of resources and information to support you in infection prevention and control. If you would like further assistance from us, we would love to hear from you. You can contact us at info@safecarebc.ca. 

Learn more about infection prevention and control, and vaccines:

Have questions about this month's topic? Ask us!

Infection Prevention and Control resources

POSTER | Hand Washing

Hang this poster in your organization to remind staff and visitors about the importance of hand hygiene.

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12 months of safety for August | Workplace inspections

Workplace inspections are an essential incident prevention tool in your organization’s occupational health and safety program.

Inspections involve critically examining the workplace to identify and record hazards for corrective action. Effective inspection programs reduce incidents and property damage and improve worker communication and company morale 

We’ve created a collection of resources and information to support you with different types of inspections.

Learn more about workplace inspections:

Have questions about workplace inspections? Ask us!

Workplace inspection resources

  • Safety huddle | Reportable situations

    Download this safety huddle to help guide your staff through the proper reporting procedures set out by your organization.

  • Safety committee basics

    Use our webpage to learn how you can support your Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees or Worker Representatives to fulfill their legal obligations in the workplace.

  • WorkSafeBC | Workplace Inspections

    Visit this webpage from WorkSafeBC to get a comprehensive look at what a workplace inspection should include.

VIDEO | The Safety Inspection Process (WorkSafeBC)

WorkSafeBC created this video to help you better understand the inspection process so that it will be more efficient and productive.

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12 months of safety for January | Violence prevention

Acts of violence towards healthcare workers are the second leading cause of injury for long-term care workers and the third leading cause of workplace injury for home and community health support.

By investing in violence prevention policies, procedures and education we can work together to reduce the risk of injury. When this happens, we create a more positive working environment, resulting in a higher quality of care for residents and clients. We’ve created a collection of resources and information to help you create a more positive work environment that reduces injuries or acts of violence in your workplace.

Learn more about violence prevention at the links below

Have questions about violence prevention in your workplace? Ask us!

Risk assessment resources

SAFETY HUDDLE | Safe handling during showers

Use this safety huddle to help reinforce staff’s use of the point-of-care risk assessment.

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Psychological health and safety

Bullying and Harassment

Bullying and incivility are significant problems in workplaces, homes, schools, and online. SafeCare BC and its members can play a role in creating safe, healthy, and civil workplaces.

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Home and community care

Client handling

Manual client handling and other physical tasks can cause overexertion of your muscles to cause injury. Musculoskeletal injuries are sprains and strains to the muscles and surrounding tissues, which can have life-long impacts These are the leading type of injury for home and community care workers.

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Violence prevention

Dementia Care

Dementia can affect behaviour and mood – but the care for persons with dementia aims to achieve the same goals – whether at home or in long-term care – safety for the person, family, and caregivers.

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Home and community care

Exposure to hazardous drugs and infectious diseases

Exposure to hazardous drugs and infectious diseases poses a health risk. Hazardous drugs include antineoplastics, cytotoxic drugs, certain hormone therapies, antiviral drugs, antibiotics, and synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl and carfentanyl.

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OHS basics

Hazard Identification

Managing risk includes identifying hazards, assessing the risk, and deciding on control measures to eliminate or minimize the risk. When identifying hazards, it’s important to look for all the conditions and situations that could possibly harm your workers.

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OHS basics

Hazardous Drugs

Resources Best Practices for the Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs Mainly intended for the healthcare industry, this book provides an overview of current knowledge on hazardous drugs, describes how to

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Infection Control

Prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and influenza by taking proper infection control measures in your workplace.

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