No matter what industry you work in, knowing ways to prevent cross contamination is a vital means of ensuring a safe and clean working environment. Cross contamination is often most prevalent in the food preparation industry and is a major issue in restaurants and cafes. However, there can be contamination in all different types of workplaces, so knowing how to stop cross-contamination is valuable information for all manner of people. Prevention is not all about hand washing, there are many factors that can go a long way to maintaining a clean and safe space. In this article, we will touch upon ways to prevent cross contamination through a number of different methods.
Clean Surfaces and Touch Points Regularly
Perhaps the easiest way of preventing cross contamination is by making sure that you are cleaning all surfaces and touch points thoroughly and regularly. If you are using an item, for example raw meat, on a surface then the bacteria and germs from the item will remain on the surface and any other surface that you touch. This is why you should always make sure that you clean these surfaces and touch points to the very best of your ability and in a regular time frame.
Introduce Hand Sanitisers
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the subject of hand sanitisation has become a much talked about topic. Hand sanitiser is a great way of killing off a large percentage of bacteria and bugs on your hands, making it a perfect way to prevent cross contamination through hand contact. Hand sanitiser can be provided in sanitation stations and through dispensers that can give the user the perfect amount needed in order to clean hands effectively. In order to provide everyone in a workplace with the means to keep their hands clean you should position dispensers all around your workplace.
Create and Stick To a Cleaning Schedule
Much in the same vein as cleaning your surfaces regularly, having a cleaning schedule is a great way of knowing when and what you need to clean. In terms of how to stop cross-contamination, sticking to a strict schedule that cleans all possible contaminants effectively is a perfect way of staying safe. Your schedule does not need to be overly detailed but should contain exactly what you want to clean and when you need to clean it. Also, once you have created it you should make multiple copies that are kept safe by appropriate employees so everyone can stick to your schedule.
Wear Appropriate PPE When Necessary
Again, a big topic of discussion from the Covid-19 pandemic was PPE. Personal protective equipment has been in use in industry and medical facilities for a very long time but has only recently been brought into the public eye. In terms of it being used as a way to prevent cross contamination, certain pieces of equipment are ideal. Disposable gloves, masks and aprons can be worn to keep you safe from contaminants, and as they are disposable, they can be instantly thrown away following use to keep them away from other surfaces and people. It is also important to know which disposable item is right for you, which you can find out more about here.
Dispose of Materials Correctly
In a similar way to disposable items of PPE, you should always look to get rid of contaminants in the correct manner. You should first check whether anything is recyclable or whether or not you can simply throw it straight in the bin. If you are handling specialised items such as needles then you should dispose of these correctly, whether it be in a special bin or a sharps box.
Use Products in Plastic Free Packaging
Plastic packaging is not only bad for the environment, but it can also harbour contaminants, bacteria and germs for a prolonged period of time. When you are purchasing items such as PPE, cleaning materials you can choose to buy plastic free packaging products. These products not only help to prevent spreading bacteria and bugs via plastic packaging, but you will also be doing your bit in the fight against climate change.
Assign Items For Certain Jobs
This may seem obvious, but when learning how to stop cross-contamination can be more difficult for some than others. This is perhaps most important for workplaces than involve handling food or chemicals. One of the standards expected to be upheld in the food industry as a way to prevent cross-contamination is to ensure that you are using certain items for certain jobs. For example, you should always have a certain knife that you only use for meat, and this should never be used for any other reason apart from preparing meat. Similarly, you should have certain chopping boards for different food types, all of which should also be cleaned separately.
Store Items Separately
Some items, especially chemicals and certain foods will need to be stored in a certain way in order to prevent cross-contamination. Some people may overlook this as a preventative method, but it is in fact one of the most important. Even if an item is in its packaging, contamination can still occur. To find out exactly how you should be storing items you may find instructions on the packaging, or you can get in touch with professionals to find out exactly how to store the item properly.
Use Correct Cleaning Equipment
When you are cleaning your surfaces, utensils or general items you should make sure that you are using the right cleaning product for the job. Some cleaning materials will be ideal for cleaning some surfaces and will kill some germs and bacteria, but this might not apply to all bacteria. As a way to prevent cross-contamination, you should be purchasing the correct cleaning equipment. Surface wipes, anti-virus sprays and cleaning cloths are all examples of cleaning products that, when used correctly, can be used to prevent cross-contamination.
Use Items Before Deadlines
Once you have appropriate cleaning products that can effectively clean your surfaces and items, you should always ensure that you are using them whilst they are still good. Some items may have a set use-by date that has been specially set by the provider. These dates indicate that the product is usable for a certain period of time and will be an effective way to prevent cross-contamination in your workplace.
For any further information regarding how to stop cross contamination in your workplace, or if you have any questions you would like to ask, please feel free to get in touch with us today.
