Hygiene and Safety
Hygiene and safety: cleaning is not sterilising
This domain tests the difference between cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation, hand hygiene, PPE and single-use rules. Exam questions often describe a tool or spill and ask for the correct next step.
Core rules
- Cleaning removes visible soil with detergent and water. Disinfection reduces pathogens on cleaned surfaces using a chemical with the correct contact time. Sterilisation destroys all microbial life, usually by autoclave or an approved heat or chemical method.
- Wash hands before and after every client, after removing gloves, after toilet use and after handling waste.
- Use single-use items where possible: wooden spatulas, cotton pads, nail files, wax strips, gloves and bed rolls. Metal implements must be cleaned, disinfected and sterilised between clients.
- Store sterilised tools in closed, dry, labelled pouches. Keep clean and dirty tools physically separate.
- Change towels, sheets and drapes per client. Never top up a chemical bottle without labelling it.
Worked example
A metal cuticle nipper falls on the floor. The correct sequence is: pick it up with gloves, remove visible debris, wash with detergent and water, dry, disinfect with a compatible chemical for the stated contact time, then sterilise and store in a closed pouch. Reasoning: disinfectant cannot penetrate dirt; sterilisation is the final step, not a substitute for cleaning.
Traps
- Wiping a tool with alcohol and calling it sterilised.
- Using the same towel to dry hands and dry tools.
- Mixing bleach with other chemicals.
- Wearing gloves as a substitute for hand washing.
- Storing tools damp, which encourages rust and biofilm.