Infection Control, Sterilization, and Public Health Safety
Standard precautions
Massachusetts Board rules incorporate standard precautions and expect compliance with CDC guidance and OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. Treat all blood and saliva as potentially infectious. Use gloves, masks, eye protection, and gowns as indicated; perform hand hygiene before and after patient contact; avoid recapping needles and use engineered sharps devices. Clean and disinfect surfaces and equipment between patients, and manage waterlines according to manufacturer and CDC recommendations.
Sterilization and monitoring
Instruments must be cleaned, packaged, and sterilized by a validated method, usually steam autoclave. Monitor every load with mechanical and chemical indicators; perform biological spore testing on a routine schedule, commonly at least weekly, and keep logs. A positive spore test means the load is not sterile: remove the unit from service, retest, and follow the manufacturer's and Board's direction.
Worked example
A spore test is positive on Friday. Reasoning: do not use the autoclave for patient instruments; quarantine the load; notify the infection-control lead; retest after correction; document the event and the recall decision. Chemical indicators alone cannot release the load after a positive biological test.
Traps
Do not rely on one indicator type. Do not skip documentation. Do not assume surface wipes sterilize instruments. Do not reuse single-use items.