
Environmental Cleaning Toolkit
This toolkit has been designed to support environmental services managers and infection control professionals in providing training to staff regarding effective procedures for environmental cleaning. The program supports the Provincial Infectious Disease Advisory Committee’s (PIDAC) Best Practices for Environmental Cleaning for Prevention and Control of Infections.
The toolkit includes six modules, each with a narrated training presentation and support materials.
This Environmental Cleaning Toolkit does not reflect the changes made in Best Practices for Environmental Cleaning for Prevention and Control of Infections in All Health Care Settings, 3rd Edition. The content is not current and is in line with the 2012 version of the best practice document. For more information, please contact your Regional IPAC Support Team.
Modules
Introduction to the Toolkit
Read through the Introduction before starting the modules to learn more about how to use the toolkit, how it was developed and information on adult learning.
Chain of Transmission
This module explores general principles in the transmission of infectious agents in health care settings and the importance of appropriate environmental cleaning in interrupting that transmission chain.
Support Materials
Routine Practices
This module reviews “routine practices” – those practices that are to be used at all times to prevent transmission of infectious agents and to keep everyone safe in the workplace.
Watch presentationSupport Materials
Cleaning
Cleaning Products and Tools
This module explores the principles of cleaning and disinfecting environmental surfaces in health care settings with a focus on the selection and appropriate use of cleaning agents, disinfectants and cleaning tools/equipment.
Cleaning Frequency
This module explores the factors that determine the frequency of cleaning based on a risk stratification with particular focus on all settings where a “hospital clean” standard is needed.
Cleaning Procedures
This module reviews the principles of correctly sequencing the tasks involved in routine cleaning. The full discharge/vacancy/transfer cleaning process and procedures are reviewed and discussed.
Cleaning – Other Considerations
This module reviews: waste handling; sharps safety; cleaning of biological spills; and selection and cleaning of non-critical equipment.
Support Materials
Additional Precautions
This module reviews: Contact, Droplet and Airborne precautions; appropriate procedures for cleaning rooms and equipment; and personal protective equipment (PPE) required when additional precautions are in place.
Support Materials
Audits
This module discusses the reasons for auditing and reviews different methods for measuring the effectiveness of cleaning procedures.
Support Materials
Additional Videos
Videos
Here are additional videos that you can use when implementing environmental cleaning best practices at your organization.
- Discharge Vacancy Bed Changing and Cleaning (Link to described video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOSL-Lxp1UU)
- Bathroom Cleaning Regular Patient Resident Bathroom (Link to described video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjS-QpvRxDM)
- Daily Room Cleaning Regular Room no precautions (Link to described video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57-4ZXaIDnw)
- Room Cleaning Contact Precautions Room (Link to described video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVrq6OdQD_w)
- Cleaning a Blood Body Fluid Spill (Link to described video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGhrhF4RY10)
- Discharge Vacancy Room Cleaning Regular Patient Resident Room or Bed Space (Link to described video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOYrgIRcDLg)
- Discharge Vacancy Room Cleaning - Contact Precautions Room (Link to described video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW635IOau8A)
Scripts
Read the video scripts if you are looking for details on a particular cleaning scenario.
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