Staff and Health Care Worker Shift Decon Aid

Poster Version (Text Version Below)

Courtesy Ian Stiell @EMO_Daddy

Work Decontamination Routine - Text version

(Small differences to Poster) Everybody should do this!

Before Going to Work

• Remove watch & rings

• Trim fingernails short

• Option: Bring clean scrubs to change into at work in 1 garbage bag, take a 2nd garbage bag for soiled clothes you wore during the day

• Tie back your hair. Consider covering your hair with a washable cloth cap of some sort

• No keychains. Keep your keys cleanable

At Work

• Wear short sleeves. You cannot clean your hands with long sleeves and the sleeves can carry COVID (fomite)

• DO NOT touch your face. This is VERY HARD. WATCH each other and say something

• Physical Distancing

  • Mark out work spaces with 6 feet of separation from other workers and do not change work stations

  • Keep 6 feet between you and colleagues. This is hard. Practice!

• Cleaning

  • Eliminate ALL extra material on desk surfaces: Paper, blotters, clutter, pen holders, etc. - Reduces Fomites and makes space easy to clean well.

    • Goal - Nothing on desk except telephone, keyboard

  • Cleaning staff may not be able to easily access your workspace - because you are working.

    • Therefore - YOU need to clean off all your workspaces - make them easy to disinfect. Beginning of every shift and during shift.

• Use speakerphone, try to NEVER bring phone near your face

• NO CHARTS in ROOMS... EVER (they cannot be cleaned). Consider a central zone for charts in your workspace.

• Have PPE buddy to observe Don & Doff

• Some are putting phones/badges in ziplocs. Clean ziploc before leaving work

• Talk to patients via phone in the rooms whenever possible, re: resp precautions

• Do NOT eat shared finger food at work. For now: chips, candy, etc. - DO NOT EAT

• Consider not touching your/any food in the clinic with your hands - use a clean fork or spoon

• If using 2 bag/clothes system, remove work clothes, put them into “non-clean” garbage bag, put on clean clothes from clean garbage bag

After Work

• Wash arms with soap

• Sanitize badge and phone (or ziploc) on way out

• Wash hands again with soap

• Some people change into 2nd set of scrubs before leaving (they wash both on arrival at home)

• Take no paper home with you

Arriving Home

• Immediately: shoes / work bag / silicone ring in garage or dirty zone at entrance

• All clothes off in dirty zone. Washing all clothes from work in machine (hot water + detergent)

• Water bottle / lunch container in dishwasher or hand wash with soap + hot water for a minimum of 30 seconds

• Shower with soap and water

• Disinfect the High Touch Surfaces in your home - door knobs, door edges, light switches, cupboard handles, rails