Standard precautions: Environmental cleaning and disinfection

The health care environment contains a diverse population of microorganisms and can be a reservoir for potential pathogens. If environmental cleaning is not performed correctly, then environmental contamination can contribute to the spread of multidrug-resistant organisms and health care-associated infections. Collaboration between infection prevention and control (IPC) and environmental services (EVS) staff limits the role of the health care environment in disease transmission.

Please note: These materials were launched on 29/05/2020.

Self-paced
Language: English
COVID-19

Course information

This course is also available in the following languages:

Tetun - Bahasa Indonesia -Nederlands - Հայերեն - Казақ - македонски

Overview: In this course, you will learn the role of an IPC professional in environmental cleaning and understand how cleaning and disinfection prevents contamination of the health care environment.

Learning objectives: By the end of this course, you should be able to:

  • describe areas of collaboration between IPC and environmental services;
  • describe the health care environment and purpose of environmental cleaning;
  • identify differences between routine and terminal cleaning;
  • describe standard precautions to keep environmental services workers safe;
  • explain the function of cleaning agents and disinfectants; and
  • describe uses of environmental monitoring in the health care setting.

Course duration: Approximately 1 hour.

Certificates: A Record of Achievement will be issued to participants who receive at least 70% on the post-test. You have an unlimited number of attempts to meet the threshold. Participants who receive a Record of Achievement can also download an Open Badge for this course. Click here to learn how.

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Learners enrolled: 89726

Certificate Requirements

  • Gain a Record of Achievement by earning at least 70% of the maximum number of points from all graded assignments.