Must Have Hospital Cleaning Protocols

A properly functioning healthcare facility requires effective cleaning protocols. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), the guidelines help the staff adhere to high-quality standards and ensure everyone is safe from healthcare-associated infections (HAI). Cleaning associates can start by observing the hospital cleaning protocols that state and federal guidelines provide.

Pay Attention to Hospital Cleaning Protocol Examples

Cleaning guidelines for healthcare facilities are often detailed and specific to ensure such environments are clean and disinfected. As such, this level of environmental hygiene requires keenness on even the most minor details of the surfaces needing cleaning.

It’s critical to thoroughly clean the frequently touched surfaces, which are hospital areas that pose a greater risk of pathogen transmission. Some of the sites and items in the healthcare environment that require cleaning include:

• Operating rooms
• Outpatient wards
• Clinical equipment
• Bathrooms, toilets, and showers
• General surfaces like walls, floors, stairs, and corridors
• Storage areas and cupboards

Clean Regularly

Many patients, guests, and hospital staff constantly move throughout the healthcare facility each day. You can prevent the spread of infections in hospitals by having a regular cleaning schedule, especially in areas with a high probability of contamination. Effective hospital cleaning protocols demonstrate that healthcare associates should regularly clean and disinfect various surfaces within the facility that may have visible soiling, spillages, bacteria, and dirt.

For the best results, opt for cleaning your hospital several times daily. Consider developing a written document that outlines the hospital’s cleaning process and includes details about the responsible staff and frequency of cleaning. For example, having a cleaning checklist for the patients’ rooms makes the environment safer and secure. You can consider outsourcing these cleaning tasks to an environmental service provider such as Crothall.

Use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) 

According to OSHA’s standards, PPE is the equipment used for reducing exposure to hazards that can cause bodily harm, including spreading infections. It consists of various items, such as clinical gloves, face masks, overalls, and respirators.

Employers should include protective gear in hospital cleaning protocols through continuous training programs that teach:

• Appropriate times to wear the equipment
• Suitable equipment types for different cleaning tasks
• Putting on, regulating, and taking off the equipment
• Features and drawbacks of the equipment
• Proper use, maintenance, and disposal of the equipment

Hospitals can designate areas for wearing and removing the equipment depending on their cleaning and disinfection protocols for efficiency. A clear layout of such a space simplifies movement of staff and ensures the correct disposal of used PPE.

Dispose of Sharp Objects Properly

The hospital cleaning associates should be mindful of how they dispose of or handle sharp objects like needles and broken glass. It would be best to dispose of such items in designated bins to prevent needle pricks and accidental cuts, which can potentially cause serious infections. The hospital management should provide its staff with the right training resources or equipment to ensure they adhere to the proper hospital cleaning protocols. Following the guidelines strictly guarantees infection control.