Policy statement:
12.1 Not all situations can be anticipated and staff should be alert and exercise their common sense, in addition to following established procedures.
Mandatory Procedures
12.2 Where body products come into contact with intact skin, they must be washed off with warm water and soap as soon as possible. No further action is necessary. However, action must be taken if:
- The skin is broken by a bite or scratch
- The skin is breached by a sharp object contaminated by body fluids
- The body fluids are splashed onto broken skin, mucous membranes or the eyes
12.3 In these circumstances, the affected part must be washed immediately and thoroughly with soap and copious quantities of running warm or cold (not hot) water. Any bleeding should be encouraged. In the case of eyes, they should be flushed with lukewarm water, saline or a proper eye-wash solution.
12.4 The accident must be reported to a manager as soon as possible and an incident form completed. (Available on Staffnet for adult care staff). This should include details of the nature of the incident and whether the skin was broken or mucous membranes contaminated.
12.5 The wound must be inspected by a medical professional and blood taken as soon as possible and certainly on the same day. A follow-up blood test will have to be taken to establish if there have been any changes compared with the first test. If the source is known to have an infectious condition this information must be communicated in the strictest confidence to the health professionals inspecting the wound.
Practice Guidance:
12.6 Accidents may well involve broken glass or other sharp objects. Be careful to protect the skin from cuts and punctures. Protective gloves do not protect against such injuries.
12.7 Emergency intervention or urgent first aid may require action before proper protective clothing can be put on. Contact with body products should be kept to a minimum and body products washed off the skin at the earliest opportunity.
