Infection Control, Sanitation, and Safety
The three levels of decontamination
Infection-control questions usually ask you to sort a task into one of three levels. Sanitation (cleaning) removes visible soil and most microbes from surfaces and tools; it is always the first step and is sufficient for nonporous surfaces that have not contacted blood or body fluids. Disinfection destroys most pathogenic organisms except bacterial spores and is required for implements and surfaces that contact skin, blood, or body fluids; the product must be an EPA-registered, hospital-grade disinfectant used at the labeled dilution and contact time. Sterilization destroys all microbial life including spores and is reserved for items that penetrate skin or contact tissue; in esthetics that generally means single-use items that are discarded.
Organisms and precautions
Know the shapes: cocci (round), bacilli (rod), spirilla (spiral). Viruses such as hepatitis B, herpes simplex, and HIV do not respond to antibiotics; fungi (tinea) and parasites (pediculosis, scabies) are contagious. Standard (universal) precautions treat all blood and body fluids as infectious, so gloves, eye protection, and handwashing are routine rather than client-specific. Under OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard you must be trained at hire and annually, offered hepatitis B vaccination, and know where the SDS binder and exposure control plan are kept.
Traps and a rule of thumb
Watch for "sanitize" used loosely as a correct answer, a disinfectant that is not EPA-registered, skipping cleaning before disinfection, double-dipping spatulas, and reusing porous items (cotton, wooden sticks, pumice). Rule of thumb: intact-skin contact = clean and disinfect; blood, body fluid, or broken skin = hospital-grade disinfectant; penetrates skin = sterilize or use single-use and discard.