UK Infection Control Procedure Template

1. Purpose and Scope

This procedure sets out how [Organisation Name] prevents and controls the spread of infection across all operational sites.

It applies to all personnel, including temporary and agency workers, and protects customers, visitors, and anyone else affected by our operations.

Where sector-specific regulations or guidance mandate higher standards, those higher standards take precedence.

Working through related paperwork at the same time? See also our US Infection Control Procedure Template, Food Safety & Hygiene Procedure Template and NY Retail Worker Safety Act Policy Template.

2. Roles and Responsibilities

• Infection Control Lead ([Role]): Owns this procedure. Manages stock levels for personal protective equipment (PPE) and body fluid spill kits at [Location], arranges staff training, and sets outbreak control measures.
• Managers and Supervisors: Enforce fitness-to-work and exclusion rules. Ensure every shift has adequate infection control supplies and escalate suspected outbreaks on the day they occur.
• All Staff: Follow established infection precautions. Report symptoms of infectious illness before starting work, and report low stocks of soap, hand sanitiser, PPE, or spill kits immediately.

3. Hand Hygiene

1. Wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, covering all hand surfaces, and dry thoroughly.
2. Wash hands upon arriving at work, before eating or handling food, after using the toilet, after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose, after cleaning duties or handling waste, after removing gloves, and before and after providing personal care.
3. Apply alcohol-based hand sanitiser when washing facilities are not immediately accessible, provided hands are not visibly dirty.
4. Cover cuts, open wounds, and abrasions with a waterproof dressing before starting work.
5. Keep fingernails short and clean. Follow site guidance on jewellery restrictions.

4. Personal Protective Equipment

• Wear single-use gloves and a disposable apron for any contact with blood or body fluids, during personal care tasks, or when handling hazardous cleaning chemicals.
• Do not reuse single-use PPE. Change PPE between different tasks and between individual care recipients.
• Remove PPE in the designated order to prevent self-contamination, dispose of it into the correct waste stream, and wash hands immediately.
• [Role] maintains and replenishes PPE stock at [Location]. Staff must report low stock levels promptly.
• Use PPE alongside hand hygiene and routine cleaning, never as a substitute.

5. Cleaning and Decontamination

Routine cleaning follows the schedule kept at [Location], which details specific areas, frequencies, cleaning methods, products, and assigned roles. The Infection Control Lead may increase cleaning frequency during periods of elevated infection risk.

• Clean high-touch surfaces (including door handles, light switches, tills, telephones, keypads, and handrails) at least [Frequency].
• Use equipment and cloths according to the colour-coded cleaning scheme defined for the site.
• Prepare and apply disinfectants strictly to the manufacturer’s instructions for dilution levels and contact times.
• Clean visibly dirty surfaces with detergent and water before applying disinfectant. Disinfectants are ineffective over visible dirt.

6. Response to Blood and Body Fluid Spillages

1. Cordon off the affected area immediately to keep people away from the spill.
2. Retrieve the body fluid spill kit from [Location] and put on single-use gloves and an apron.
3. Cover and absorb the spillage using paper towels or the absorbent granules supplied in the kit.
4. Clean the area with detergent solution, then apply disinfectant at the specified dilution rate and contact time.
5. Place all used cleaning materials, absorbed spillage, and disposable PPE into the designated contaminated waste bag, seal securely, and place in [Location].
6. Wash hands thoroughly, restock the spill kit, and report the incident to [Role] for record-keeping.

7. Staff Illness and Exclusion

• Report symptoms of infectious illness (such as vomiting, diarrhoea, or fever) to your line manager before starting work.
• Any staff member experiencing vomiting or diarrhoea must remain away from work until free of symptoms for 48 hours (or the period required by sector guidance).
• Staff exclusion under this procedure is recorded as medical absence. [Role/System] arranges operational cover.

8. Waste and Laundry Management

• Separate general waste from contaminated waste (including used PPE, spillage response materials, and hygiene waste) using designated containers and bags.
• Route contaminated waste through an approved clinical or special waste process. Seal bags securely before transport and never decant waste into open containers.
• Handle soiled linen or workwear with gloves, bag it at the point of use, and launder it according to designated temperature and processing guidance.
• Dispose of sharps directly into a designated sharps container at the point of use. Never dispose of sharps in general waste bags.

9. Training, Records, and Review

• All personnel receive training on this procedure during induction before their first unsupervised shift, with refresher training conducted at [Frequency].
• Training completion records, cleaning sign-off logs, spillage incident reports, and outbreak logs are stored at [Location/System].
• This procedure is reviewed [Frequency], following an outbreak or spillage incident, or whenever public health guidance changes.
• Procedure Owner: [Role]. Next Review Date: [Date].