Clean high-risk areas
Overview
This standard is part of the competence area related to providing cleaning services, including the use of equipment. It is about cleaning high-risk areas. It is for cleaning operatives who need to maintain levels of cleanliness in areas where there is a high risk of infection or contamination. This may represent risks of becoming infected to yourself, team members and customers, cross-contamination to the environment in which you are working if you do not follow the correct workplace procedures and relevant guidelines for cleanliness. To reduce these risks, it is important to maintain high levels of personal hygiene and to adhere to the relevant organisational procedures. Depending on the environment in which you are working, and risk factors identified, there might be different procedures to follow. For example, for the selection and use of protective equipment, cleaning frequencies and procedures for entering and leaving the high-risk area. High risk in some work contexts can be defined as a controlled environment.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
Preparation and protection
1. carry out health checks and follow organisational procedures for safe working practice
2. follow dynamic risk assessment requirements of your organisation within the workplace
3. assess the risk categories and take the relevant actions depending on the outcome of assessments carried out
4. ensure all required products and protective equipment are available
5. wear the relevant protective equipment while carrying out cleaning
6. follow organisational procedures for reusing or disposing of protective equipment
7. ensure the safe systems of work and requirements are followed
8. select the appropriate colour-coded equipment
9. ensure any relevant safety and warning signs are displayed clearly
Controlling the risk of infection
10. follow your organisation's requirements for mitigation of risk of infection in the workplace
11. follow the cleaning procedures depending on environment and identified risks
12. ensure there is adequate ventilation in the area before and during the work
13. examine areas for cleaning and identify any high contact touch points
14. carry out cleaning in accordance with work schedule and required frequency depending on the outcomes of risk assessment
15. use cleaning products including specialist cleaning solutions, antibacterial and antiviral chemicals
16. use disposable cleaning equipment to reduce viral loading in the areas being cleaned
17. follow the enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedures for suspected or confirmed virus contaminations
18. dispose of used cleaning and protective equipment in accordance with specified safety procedures
19. clean and disinfect reusable cleaning equipment
20. wash and dry your hands thoroughly and safely in accordance with organisational requirements
21. ensure the hand washing facilities are maintained with an adequate supply of washing solution, disinfection gels and a hygienic means of hand drying
Prevent the spread of infection and cross-contamination in high-risk areas
22. maintain hand hygiene on a regular basis to prevent the spread of infection or cross-contamination in the high-risk area
23. use the appropriate methods of maintaining your personal hygiene by following your organisation's procedures
24. seek advice from the relevant members of staff when you are asked to clean environments where there is a specific risk of infection or cross-contamination
25. obtain a cleaning specification with more detailed information on how cleaning should be carried out
26. confirm individual items for cleaning, cleaning frequencies and expected standards of cleanliness for each item
27. identify damaged items of furniture and equipment in the high-risk area, report them to the relevant member of staff and ensure they are clean before removal or reinstatement
28. confirm with the relevant member of staff the nature of the soiling, before the cleaning begins
29. ensure that high-risk area has been cleared of any waste and that it has been disposed of properly and in accordance with your organisation's procedures
30. report any accidental damage or disruption to high-risk areas caused by cleaning processes
31. ensure all cleaning materials, equipment and cleaning agent containers are returned in a clean and safe condition to the designated storage area
32. ensure all relevant procedures have been fully followed before you collect your personal items from storage
Conduct cleaning in a high-risk area
33. follow your organisation's procedures for entering the high-risk areas
34. remove your personal items, such as jewellery because of the risk to yourself or the equipment, and store these in a designated place
35. report to the relevant member of staff any personal conditions that may cause infection or cross-contamination of the high-risk area
36. assess and identify all potential risks to yourself, customers and the environment caused by exposure to micro-organisms or other contaminants before and during the cleaning
37. arrange communication with your supervisor in accordance with your organisation's procedures when working alone
38. ensure that the equipment and tools are fit for purpose and are suitable for the cleaning the high-risk areas
39. follow your organisation's procedures for dealing with faulty cleaning equipment
40. use colour coding of cleaning materials to avoid potential cross-contamination
41. follow the relevant decontamination procedures for the area being cleaned
42. use specialist equipment for disinfection, including fog, mist, vapour and ultraviolet (UV) systems and follow relevant procedures for re-entry
43. identify the areas accessed by the symptomatic person before cleaning and cordon it with relevant signage
44. clean all bodily fluids, using disposable materials shortly after these have been identified and sanitise the surface
45. dispose of used equipment, other waste or potentially infectious waste in accordance with employer's guidance
46. dispose of the waste in accordance with your organisation's safety procedures
47. remove the signage and return it in a clean condition to the designated storage area, when you have finished your work
48. follow your organisation's procedures for leaving the workplace
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
Preparation and protection
1. the health checks and relevant procedures for safe working practice
2. your organisation's principles of dynamic risk assessment within the workplace
3. the risk categories and the relevant actions depending on the outcome of assessments carried out
4. the products and protective equipment for carrying out cleaning and infection control
5. how to reuse the protective equipment or dispose of it in line with your organisation's safety procedures
6. the organisational requirements for safe systems of work
7. how and where to display the relevant safety and infection control signage for cleaning areas
8. your organisation's requirements for minimising risk of infection while working on premises
9. why it is important to choose the correct colour coded equipment and how to use it
Controlling the risk of infection
10. your organisation's procedures for mitigating the risk of infection
11. why there should be adequate ventilation in the work area and the risks of inadequate ventilation
12. the frequency of routine cleaning in communal areas, facilities and high-contact areas
13. the enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedures for suspected or confirmed virus contamination
14. the areas for cleaning and how to identify high contact touch points
15. the range of specialist cleaning products and how to use them safely and effectively
16. the cleaning procedures to follow, depending on the environment and risks identified
17. your organisation's procedures for cleaning and disinfection of reusable equipment
18. your organisation's procedures for disposing of used cleaning equipment and protective equipment
19. the duration of hand washing procedures after the protective equipment is removed
Prevent the spread of infection and cross-contamination in high-risk areas
20. the location of facilities for maintaining hand hygiene and why personal hygiene is important in a high-risk area
21. the risks that you may encounter in your routine cleaning tasks and areas of the workplace that represent various risks
22. why you should seek advice about cleaning environments that may represent a specific risk and the relevant person from who you can seek assistance
23. the specifications detailing identified risk factors and how the cleaning procedures should be carried out
24. the individual items for cleaning and expected standards of cleanliness for each item
25. the types of cleaning frequencies depending on risk factors
26. the potential risks that damaged items of furniture or equipment in the high-risk area may represent, why you should report them to the relevant member of staff
27. how to identify them the types of surfaces and soiling you are required to clean
28. your organisation's procedures for reporting any soiling that you are unable to identify
29. who is responsible for checking your work
30. who is responsible for removing waste from the high-risk area and how regularly this is carried out
31. your organisation's instructions, procedures and any guidelines for reporting accidental damage
Conduct cleaning in a high-risk area
32. your organisation's procedures for entering, cleaning and leaving the high-risk areas
33. why it is important any personal conditions that may cause infection or cross-contamination to the relevant member of staff
34. the risks present in the high-risk area and how to identify them for the purposes of a risk assessment
35. the designated cleaning agents and chemicals required for the area in which you are working and levels of dilution
36. the facilities available for conducting cleaning (e.g. water and drainage) and where to access these
37. the relevant procedures for arranging communication with your supervisor and why it is important to confirm these before starting work
38. why it is important to remove your personal items when conducting cleaning in a high-risk area
39. the personal conditions that may restrict your cleaning duties and why it is important to report these to the relevant member of staff
40. why it is important to have serviceable cleaning equipment and tools and to whom the problems should be reported
41. how to deal with potentially dangerous or contaminated objects and their disposal in designated containers
42. the importance of using colour coded cleaning materials to avoid potential cross-contamination
43. the methods of cleaning the bodily fluids and why it is important to sanitise the area
44. your organisation's decontamination procedures
45. how to use specialist equipment for disinfection using fog, mist, vapour and ultraviolet (UV) systems
46. your organisation's procedures for disposal of used protective equipment, other waste or potentially infectious waste
47. when to remove the signage from the work area and where it is stored
48. your organisation's procedures for leaving the workplace