2.2 Identify when it is necessary to perform hand hygiene

This guide will help you answer 2.2 Identify when it is necessary to perform hand hygiene.

Performing hand hygiene is one of the most important actions to prevent the spread of infection in health and social care settings. Proper hand hygiene protects both workers and the individuals they care for from harmful infections. Knowing when to clean your hands ensures that germs do not transfer between people, objects, or surfaces. In this guide, we cover when it is necessary to perform hand hygiene in health and social care environments.

Before Touching a Service User

Clean your hands before providing personal care or assistance to a service user. This includes tasks like:

• Helping a person to eat or drink
• Assisting with dressing or undressing
• Helping someone to move, such as using a hoist or assisting with walking
• Assisting with personal care like washing or brushing teeth

Performing hand hygiene at this stage prevents transferring germs from your own hands or environment onto the person receiving care.

After Touching a Service User

Always clean your hands after physical contact with a service user, even if you wore gloves. This helps stop germs from spreading to:

• Yourself or your colleagues
• Other people in care settings
• Items or surfaces you may touch next, such as door handles or medical equipment

This step ensures safety after completing care activities such as bathing, repositioning, or providing first aid.

Before Performing Any Procedure

Hand hygiene is essential before starting any procedure that involves a service user or medical equipment. This could include:

• Administering medication, particularly injections or eye drops
• Changing dressings or bandages
• Setting up or handling medical devices like urinary catheters or IV lines

Proper hand hygiene minimises the risk of introducing germs into wounds, the body, or sterile equipment.

After Performing Any Procedure

Once you have completed a procedure, clean your hands. This prevents the spread of microorganisms that may have been picked up during the activity. For example:

• After taking blood samples or testing blood sugar
• Following catheter care or drainage system management
• After cleaning or dressing wounds

Even when gloves are used, washing your hands afterwards remains necessary.

Before Handling Food

Always wash your hands before preparing, serving, or feeding food. This applies in settings like care homes, hospitals, or supporting individuals in their own homes. Hand hygiene during food preparation ensures that harmful bacteria such as E. coli or Salmonella do not transfer from your hands to the food.

After Handling Food

Clean your hands after handling raw foods, especially meat or eggs, as these can carry harmful bacteria. Wash them again after:

• Cleaning away plates, utensils, or food spillages
• Throwing away food waste or rubbish
• Assisting a service user with eating

Hand hygiene at these moments reduces the likelihood of foodborne illnesses spreading.

Before and After Wearing Gloves

Gloves can create a false sense of security. Always perform hand hygiene both before putting on and after removing gloves. This ensures your hands are clean:

• Before touching gloves to avoid contaminating them
• After taking off gloves in case germs have transferred during use or removal

It is important because gloves may develop tiny tears or allow germs to transfer when touching objects.

After Contact with Body Fluids or Contaminated Items

Hand hygiene is needed after contact with body fluids like:

• Blood
• Saliva
• Urine
• Vomit or faeces

Wash your hands thoroughly if you touch tissues, nappies, or contaminated bedding. These can harbour a high level of germs that must not spread to others.

Before and After Using Toilets

Hand hygiene is important before and after using the toilet, no matter whether it’s a staff or service user’s toilet. This includes helping a service user in the toilet or dealing with incontinence products.

Before Using Medical Equipment or Tools

Clean your hands before handling medical equipment such as:

• Thermometers
• Stethoscopes
• Blood pressure cuffs

This ensures that bacteria do not transfer to equipment used on service users. Keeping tools free of contamination reduces infection risks, especially where equipment touches skin directly.

After Handling Medical Equipment

Once you’ve finished using medical equipment, perform hand hygiene again. This step prevents transferring germs from the used equipment to other surfaces or people. It’s particularly important if the equipment was in contact with a service user who has an infection.

After Touching Surfaces in Shared Environments

In health and social care environments, shared surfaces like light switches, door handles, and workstations are high-risk areas for germ transmission. Washing your hands after touching these surfaces prevents the spread of bacteria and viruses to others.

Arriving at and Leaving Work

When you start your shift, clean your hands as a safeguard before touching any service users or equipment. Do the same at the end of your shift to avoid carrying germs back home.

When Hands Look or Feel Dirty

Clean your hands whenever they appear dirty or feel sticky, even if you do not think they have come into contact with harmful microorganisms. Visible dirt increases the chance of spreading contamination.

When Exposed to Infectious Diseases

If you are working in environments where there are outbreaks of infectious diseases, like norovirus or flu, hand hygiene becomes even more frequent. Follow the handwashing protocol set by your organisation to help control and reduce further spread.

Using Alcohol-Based Hand Rub

Alcohol-based hand sanitiser is an alternative to washing hands when soap and water are not available. It is effective in reducing most harmful germs. Use it:

• Before and after non-invasive procedures
• When moving between service users during busy periods
• After touching shared items like clipboards, pens, or notes

Keep in mind alcohol rubs are not effective if hands are visibly dirty or greasy – use soap and water in these cases.

Final Thoughts

Hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to prevent infections in health and social care settings. Identifying when to clean your hands helps protect service users, yourself, and others. By practising regular and timely hand hygiene, you can significantly reduce the spread of germs and promote a safer care environment. Always follow your organisation’s policies and use the recommended techniques for washing or sanitising hands.