Infection Control and Safety
What the exam actually tests
Two ideas dominate this domain: how pathogens move, and how much kill a given item requires. Memorize the chain of infection (pathogen, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, susceptible host) - breaking any single link stops transmission.
Vocabulary questions love to swap
- Cleaning/sanitation removes visible debris. Disinfection destroys most microorganisms on hard, nonporous surfaces. Sterilization destroys all microbial life, including spores, and is rarely required in a salon.
- Bacteria shapes: cocci (round), bacilli (rod), spirilla (spiral); flagella provide movement.
- Viruses include HBV, HCV, HIV, and herpes. Fungi include tinea (ringworm) and onychomycosis. Parasites include pediculosis.
Rules of thumb
- Standard precautions replace the older "universal precautions" wording: treat every client's blood and body fluids as infectious.
- Wear gloves for blood, broken skin, and whenever you have cuts or abrasions.
- For blood or body-fluid spills, use an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant labeled tuberculocidal.
- Nonporous implements that can be submerged get immersed; porous items (files, buffers, cotton, orangewood sticks) are single-use and discarded.
- Electrical safety: pull the plug, not the cord; keep water away from outlets; inspect cords. Fire safety: know exit locations and never use aerosols near an open flame.
Worked example
A nail technician finishes a pedicure and sees blood on a metal pusher. Cleaning alone is not enough, and a quick spray fails the standard. Correct sequence: gloves on, clean visible debris, immerse in an EPA-registered tuberculocidal disinfectant for the full label contact time, dry, store in a clean covered container.
Classic trap: "Disinfectants kill bacterial spores" is false; "UV cabinets sterilize" is false.