Infection Control and Safety Practices
What this domain tests
Infection control questions ask you to match a client-care risk to the correct process: cleaning, disinfection, or sterilization. The exam also checks salon safety and bloodborne-pathogen precautions.
Core rules
- The chain of infection has six links: pathogen, reservoir, portal of exit, transmission, portal of entry, susceptible host. Infection control breaks a link.
- Clean before disinfecting. Detergent and water remove soil, oils, and many organisms; disinfectants are weakened by organic matter.
- Disinfection uses an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant mixed at the label dilution and left for the full contact time. Sterilization destroys all microbial life and is not routine for reusable facial tools.
- Porous items-sponges, cotton, wooden sticks, emery boards-are single-use. Nonporous metal or glass tools are cleaned, disinfected, and stored covered.
- Gloves are not a substitute for handwashing. Treat blood and body fluids as infectious; report exposures.
- Safety: keep cords dry, label chemicals, keep SDS sheets accessible, and ventilate wax and chemical areas.
Worked example
A metal extractor is visibly soiled after use on a pustule. Correct order: put on gloves, remove debris, scrub with detergent and water, rinse and dry, then immerse in hospital disinfectant for the label contact time, dry, and store covered. Reasoning: disinfectant cannot penetrate soil, so cleaning is not optional.
Traps
Calling a spray a sterilant; disinfecting a wooden stick; topping off disinfectant; skipping contact time; wearing the same gloves to two clients.