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W o r k S a f eW e s t e r nA u s t r a l i aCOMMISSION

Reducing the Risk ofInfectious Diseases in

Child Care Workplaces

Table of ContentPreventing illness 1

Causes of infectious diseases 1

Spread of infectious diseases 1

Factors that may increase the risk of contractinginfectious diseases 2

Pregnancy 2

Controlling infectious diseases in child care workplaces 3

Immunisation 3

Exclusion of sick children, employees andvolunteer helpers 4

Cross infection from animals 5

Facilities for hand-washing, cleaning and disposalof waste 5

Hand-washing 6

Dealing with blood and other body fluids 7

Nappy changing and toileting 8

Handling dirty linen and contaminated clothing 9

Food safety 9

Cleaning toys, clothing and work areas 10

Children’s sandpits 10

Children’s wading pools 11

Information, training and supervision for infectioncontrol procedures 12

Personal protective clothing and equipment 13

Other hazards in the child care industry 13

Manual handling 13

Slippery surfaces 13

Electricity 13

Cleaning products and other chemicals 14

General requirements of occupational safety andhealth laws 15

Employees 15

Notification of certain infectious diseases 16

Appendix One Common infectious diseases 17

Appendix Two Other Relevant Publications 23

Contacts for Further Information 24

Authority

This Guidance Note has been produced by the WorkSafeWestern Australia Commission under section 14 of theOccupational Safety and Health Act 1984.

Scope

This Guidance Note applies to workplaces in WesternAustralia covered by the Occupational Safety and HealthAct 1984. It provides information on key issues relatingto the control of infectious diseases for managers,workers and volunteers in child care workplaces suchas child care centres, home day care centres, before andafter school care centres, kindergartens, preschools andin private residences.

Acknowledgement

The information in this Guidance Note is based on StayingHealthy in Child Care (June 2002) published by theCommonwealth Government and produced in partnershipwith the Commonwealth Department of Health and AgedCare, the National Health and Medical Research Counciland the Commonwealth Child Care Program.

i

1

Preventing illness

When children are in situations where there is frequent contactwith many other children for long periods of time, the risk ofbecoming ill with common infectious diseases increases. It isnot possible to prevent the spread of all infections but somecan be prevented.

Good hygiene and infection control procedures, that are partof the routine for everyone in child care workplaces, will reducethe risk of illness for children, workers, volunteers and visitors.

Causes of infectious diseases

Infectious diseases may be caused by micro-organisms or“germs” including viruses, bacteria, protozoa or fungi. Thesegerms are too small to see with the naked eye, but they cansurvive in the air, on the surface of the skin, in body fluidsand on objects such as toys and door handles. The length oftime that germs can survive depends on the type of germand the surface or substance that may be contaminated.

Washing hands and objects with detergent and water is avery effective way of killing and removing germs.

Spread of infectiousdiseases

Infectious diseases can bespread directly from personto person or they may betransferred from a personinto the environment andthen to another person.Animals may also carryinfectious diseases thatare transferred when theanimal comes intocontact with a person orwhen a person handlesdroppings and otherbody fluids from theanimal.

2

The infection control process aims to prevent the spread ofinfections that are transferred directly and indirectly.

All body fluids, including blood, saliva, urine and vomit,should be treated as potentially infectious. Germs can besprayed into the air through sneezing and coughing. Anotherperson may breathe them in or they may enter the bodythrough the eyes, mouth or skin. Some germs will enterthrough unbroken skin, but usually the risk is increased ifthe skin is broken and left open to the air. Sometimes thegerms are passed indirectly onto hands that touch acontaminated surface and then into the eyes, nose or mouth.

Factors that may increase the risk ofcontracting infectious diseases

There are some situations where the body’s defences are lessable to resist infection. This may occur when a person isvery young or very old, during pregnancy, when the personhas no immunity to a particular disease, when the immunesystem is not working properly or when the body is poorlynourished or generally unwell.

The risk of infection in child care workplaces may alsoincrease when infection control procedures are not in placeor not followed by staff members and visitors to theworkplace. This may result in poor personal hygiene, poorworkplace design and lack of proper facilities or workpractices that do not prevent the transfer of infection.

Pregnancy

A number of infectious diseases have the potential to causeinjury to an unborn child. Women who work in the childcare industry and are pregnant or planning a pregnancy,should contact their doctor for further information.

Parents and pregnant women visiting child care workplacesshould also be provided with information by the employer ifa child who usually attends the centre has an infectiousdisease that may cause injury to an unborn child. Examplesare German Measles (Rubella), Cytomegalovirus (CMV) andChicken Pox.

3

Controlling infectious diseases in childcare workplaces

There are steps that can be taken in child care workplaces toreduce the risk of transferring infectious diseases. Theseinclude:

• Encourage immunisation for staff members and childrento prevent infectious diseases;

• Establish policies to exclude animals and sick people;

• Provide adequate facilities for hand washing, cleaning anddisposing of waste;

• Establish proper procedures for infection control,especially for:

- Good personal hygiene including washing handsproperly;

- Safe work practices for high risk activities such asdealing with blood and body fluids, nappy changing andtoileting, handling dirty linen and contaminated clothingand preparing and handling food;

- Good management of toys, play clothing and playequipment (such as sand pits and wading pools); and

- General cleaning of the child care workplace;

• Provide staff members and visitors with information oninfection control policies and procedures;

• Provide training for staff members so they understand andcan use the infection control procedures;

• Provide adequate supervision to ensure everyone followsthe policies and procedures; and

• Provide adequate supplies of protective equipment suchas disposable gloves.

Immunisation

Immunisation is an effective means of preventing someinfectious diseases. However, some children and adults mayhave an adverse reaction to a vaccine. Encourage parents to

4

seek medical advice on immunising their children. Staffmembers should also be encouraged to seek medical adviceon having immunisations for infectious diseases that theymay come into contact with at work, including Hepatitis Aand B, Measles, Mumps, German Measles (Rubella), Polio,Chicken Pox, Diphtheria and Tetanus.

A record of staff members’ immunisations should bemaintained in case there is an outbreak of an infectiousdisease at the child care workplace. The employer shouldalso provide all staff members with information if a childwho usually attends the centre has an infectious disease.Steps can then be taken to identify those staff members mostat risk of contracting the disease.

Exclusion of sick children, employees andvolunteer helpers

It is important to identify and record signs of ill health inchildren and staff members at child care workplaces.Encourage parents to tell the staff when their child or otherfamily members have been ill.

If a child appears to be sick or if the child appears itchy or isscratching more than usual:

• Check the child for signs of fever, skin irritation or rashes;

• Record the symptoms;

• Notify the child’s parents as soon as possible;

• Isolate the child from others;

• Monitor the child’s temperature; and

• Wash your hands before touching another child.

Staff members should seek medical advice if they areconcerned and have not been able to contact the sick child’sparents.

When staff members are handling sick children, they shouldnot place their fingers in their mouths, scratch themselves orrub their eyes and they should ensure that they have coveredcuts or other broken skin that they may have.

5

Sick people should be excluded from the workplace toprevent the transfer of infectious diseases to others. Therecommended action in relation to exclusion policies iscovered in Appendix One. Each child care workplace shouldhave a written policy stating the exclusion criteria that willapply when a child or a staff member is sick. Usuallyexclusion periods are based upon the time that a person witha specific disease or condition might be infectious to others.

Where there is no significant risk of infection to others,exclusion is not recommended. However, a person who isnot excluded may still need to stay at home because they donot feel well.

Cross infection from animals

It is best that children in child care workplaces do not comeinto physical contact with animals. However, where thereare pets in the workplace or in situations where children maycome into contact with animals during excursions to parksor farms:

• Ensure interaction with animals is supervised;

• Ensure children wash their hands after handling animals;

• Ensure that children do not play in dirt that may becontaminated by animals, in particular ensure that childrendo not place the dirt or dirty hands in their mouths; and

• Exclude sick animals from child care workplaces.

Facilities for hand-washing, cleaning and disposalof waste

Employers should ensure that hand-washing facilities areprovided with running water, soap and single-use towels.Personal protective clothing and equipment provided for staffmembers should include disposable gloves, and coveralls forstaff members involved with food handling. If a spillagecovers a large area or it is likely that a staff member’s clothingwill be splashed with cleaning products, waterproof apronsshould be provided.

The first aid box should include waterproof dressings that willremain in place during hand-washing and water play activities.

6

When children are taken on an excursion out of the childcare workplace, supplies, such as disposable gloves,disposable paper towels, clean clothing, plastic bags and afirst aid kit, should be taken to ensure that staff have theequipment they need to deal with nappy changing, toiletingactivities, vomiting or bleeding.

Soiled items such as disposable gloves, paper towels,disposable nappies, dressings and used first aid items shouldbe treated as “contaminated waste”. They should be disposedof in bins lined with a plastic bag and clearly marked to indicatethat the bin is for a special purpose and the waste should notbe handled. The bins for contaminated waste should be inareas where children will not be able to reach them.

Facilities should include locked storage areas for items suchas cleaning chemicals and medicines.

Hand-washing

Hand-washing is one of the most important methods used toreduce the risk of transmitting infectious diseases.

Adults and children should wash their hands before handlingfood and eating, after changing anappy, after assisting children in thetoilet or going to the toilet andafter cleaning up any body fluidor waste. Children’s faces andhands should be washed if theytouch their own body fluid orwaste or that from anotherperson or animal.

As part of their safetyinduction, all staff membersand parents or volunteerhelpers in a child careworkplace should beinstructed in a properprocedure and supervised toensure their hands are cleanand dried after washing.

7

The procedure should cover the following points:

• Use soap;

• Wash hands vigorously for 10 seconds;

• Rinse hands well for 10 seconds;

• Turn off the tap with a piece of paper; and

• Dry hands well with paper towel or a dryer.

Dealing with blood and other body fluids

Direct contact with blood and other body fluids should beavoided. However, it is acknowledged that this is not alwayspossible in a child care workplace where protective clothingis not worn at all times. Disposable gloves should be wornin situations where there may be contact with blood and otherbody fluids, such as during nappy changing and cleaning.

Unbroken skin is an effective barrier against infections fromspilled blood. Cuts and abrasions should be covered with awaterproof dressing to reduce the risk of infection throughthe skin.

Child care workplaces should establish a procedure forcleaning up body fluid spills such as those associated withtoileting accidents, vomiting or bleeding if a child sufferscuts or abrasions during play activity.

The procedure should cover the following points:

• Prevent children from entering the area until it is properlycleaned;

• Wear gloves and mop up spills with paper towels;

• Place paper towels in a bin that has been lined with a plasticbag and provided for the disposal of contaminated waste;

• Clean area with warm water and detergent;

• Disinfect the area where a spill has occurred using bleach(1 part bleach to 9 parts water); and

• Remove gloves and wash hands thoroughly.

8

Nappy changing and toileting

Staff members should be trained and supervised to ensurethat they follow the proper procedures fornappy changing and toileting. Theprocedures should ensure that staff

members do not come into directcontact with body fluids

and children areprotected from therisk of infectionsbeing transferred

from another child.

When changing a number ofchildren, each child should have

fresh paper on the nappy changing table andstaff members should dispose of their gloves andwash their hands after dealing with each child.

The nappy changing procedure should cover thefollowing points:

• Wear disposable gloves;

• Use paper on the changing table;

• Clean the child and remove the paper;

• Remove gloves, dispose of paper and gloves in the bin;

• Dress the child;

• Wash the child’s hands and take child away from table;

• Clean the change table with detergent and water; and

• Wash your hands.

When assisting children with toileting activities, staffmembers should wear disposable gloves. Children at thecentre should have clean clothes available in case theirclothing is soiled. The soiled clothing should be placed in aplastic bag ready for parents to collect with the child eachday. Children may need assistance to wash their handsproperly. At the end of the process, staff members shouldwash their own hands.

9

Potties should be avoided if possible. If used by a child, thepotty should be emptied into a toilet then cleaned withdisinfectant and rinsed in a sink that is not used for foodpreparation. Staff members should wear disposable glovesand wash their hands at the end of the cleaning process.

Handling dirty linen and contaminated clothing

All linen or clothing soiled with blood or body fluids shouldbe treated as potentially infectious and placed in a plasticbag that is clearly marked. The plastic bag may then beplaced in the standard linen laundry bag or taken home byparents for washing. It is not necessary to use disposablelinen in child care workplaces. Washing linen in hot waterusually destroys germs that may cause infection.

Food safety

Child care workplaces where staffmembers change nappies and prepareor serve food on a daily basis havethree times as much diarrhoea ascentres where staff members donot do both these jobs. For thisreason, the person who preparesand serves food should not bethe person who changes nappiesor helps children go to the toileton that day.

Staff members who work in thekitchen should have training in the proper procedures forhandling raw and cooked food, food storage, cooking andreheating. They should also be trained in how to store andheat breast milk that is supplied for babies and the preparationof formula. Information on laws associated with food handlingand preparation are available from your local government’sEnvironmental Health section.

Tables used for meals should be washed with detergent andwater before each meal and all children and adults shouldwash their hands before eating. Staff members assisting atmeal times should make sure children do not share food,

10

plates or utensils and a separate spoon and bottle is used foreach baby.

The kitchen should be fly and vermin proof and food that iswaiting to be served should be covered. Staff members whowork in the kitchen should be provided with coveralls toprotect their clothing.

Cleaning toys, clothing and work areas

Employers shouldensure that there isa cleaning routinethat covers itemsthat need to becleaned on a dailyor weekly basis.

Daily cleaning should include those items that are potentiallycontaminated, such as toys that have been placed in children’smouths. These items should be removed from the play areaand only returned after they have been properly cleaned. Thecleaning routine should include items which will need to becleaned immediately before use, such as meal tables orimmediately after use, such as toileting potties.

In situations where bleach is used, it should be diluted andapplied to the surface after cleaning with water and detergent.Items should be thoroughly dried before they are stored.

Play clothing should be washed in hot water and detergenton a regular basis. If soiled, it should be removed from theplay area immediately. Play clothing, especially play hats,should be properly treated as part of a procedure for dealingwith an outbreak of head lice or “nits”.

Children’s sandpits

Sandpits may become contaminated with urine and faecesfrom children or from animals. It is sometimes difficult todetect when young children have urinated in a sandpit,especially when they are also playing with water.

11

Check sandpits regularly and ensure that they are kept clean.If the sand smells offensive, do not allow children to play inthe sand until it is replaced.

Sandpits should be kept covered overnight or when not inuse to keep animals out. Cats, in particular, are attracted tothe soft sand for their toileting activities.

Children’s wading pools

Wading pools require the same attention to cleanliness anddisinfection as swimming pools. The water should bechlorinated and the pool should be emptied and cleanedevery day.

Staff members will need to know the volume of the pool towork out how much chlorination chemical is required. Expertadvice on the type of chemicals and the recommendedquantities is available from your local government’sEnvironmental Health section.

The chlorine levels in the pool should be tested hourly if thepool is in continuous use or before each group of childrenuses the pool. The rate of breakdown of chlorine in the waterwill be affected by the amount of sun and shade over thepool, the temperature and the weather. Testing the waterregularly will ensure that chlorine levels are adequate andprevent the overuse of chemicals. Do not add chemicals tothe water while children are in the pool and ensure thechemicals are mixed well with the water before children areallowed to enter the pool.

It is not necessary to chlorinate water for some play activities- for example, playing with sprinklers, buckets and water tables.

Children should be supervised at all times while using thepool. To keep the pool clean, all children should go to thetoilet before entering the pool and they should wear cleanbathers or a change of underwear. Children with diarrhoea,upset stomachs, open sores or nasal infections should not beallowed to use the pool.

If a child passes a bowel motion in the pool, remove allchildren from the pool immediately. Empty the pool, clean

12

it thoroughly and disinfect it using a chlorine baseddisinfectant.

Store pool chemicals away from children and use gloves andeye protection when handling the chemicals.

Information, training and supervision for infectioncontrol procedures

All staff members andvolunteer helpers in childcare workplaces should beprovided with informationand trained in the infectioncontrol procedures that arein place. Adequatesupervision should thenensure that everyonefollows the procedures.

Training should be provided as part of an induction programand be updated on a regular basis. It should relate to thespecific activities undertaken by each member of staff andbe provided in a way that enables the person to understandand apply the procedures. For example, there may need tobe special arrangements for the training of workers from anon-English speaking background.

The training should include information on what infectiousdiseases are, how they are transmitted, the signs andsymptoms of the diseases and the procedures used in theworkplace to minimise the risk of spreading the diseases.

Child care workplaces may also need to provide informationto parents and visitors. For example, parents should haveinformation when a child who usually attends the centre hasan infectious disease.

Employers’ responsibilities for the provision of information,instruction, training and supervision are set out in Part III ofthe Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984.

I N F O R M AT I O N

13

Personal protective clothing and equipment

The procedures that are in place should reduce the risk ofexposure to blood and body fluids that may be infectious.Personal protective clothing and equipment (PPE) shouldnot be the only method used to reduce risk for staff members,visitors and children at the workplace. However, there aresituations in child care workplaces where PPE should be usedto increase the level of protection.

Other hazards in the child care industry

Staff members and children in child care workplaces maybe exposed to many other hazards, including:

Manual handling

Lifting and carrying children and the equipment used in childcare workplaces may lead to manual handling injuries suchas sprains and strains. The activities undertaken by childcare workers and volunteers should be assessed and modifiedif possible to reduce repetitive lifting and minimise the riskof injury.

Slippery surfaces

Floors and the surfaces of pathways, steps and ramps insideand outside child care workplaces should be slip resistant,especially around wet areas such as bathrooms and toilets.

The risk of slips, trips and falls can also be reduced by goodhousekeeping, keeping walkways clear of toys and otherloose items and by ensuring that spills are cleaned uppromptly.

Electricity

In situations where portable items of electric equipment, suchas vacuum cleaners, electric frypans, portable stereos andCD players are used, electric circuits should be protected byResidual Current Devices (RCDs) to reduce the risk ofelectrocution.

14

Power cords and extension leads should be protected fromdamage by toys and equipment, chemicals and heat. It is agood idea to check cords and leads for nicks, cuts and otherdamage on a regular basis and to immediately remove adamaged item until it is properly repaired.

A licensed electrical contractor should always be used forrepairs to electrical equipment and electrical installations atworkplaces.

Children should not be left unsupervised in situations wherethey may cut electric cords, spill water onto electricequipment or pull cords and leads out of a power point.Unused power points should be covered with blank plugs toensure that children do not poke small items into the emptyholes.

Cleaning products and other chemicals

It is important that all chemicals are stored in lockedcupboards or storerooms away from children. Everyone whouses the chemicals for work should be trained in proceduresthat ensure the chemicals are returned and locked awayimmediately after use. Supervision of staff members andvolunteers should ensure that the procedures are followed.

There are legal requirements for the provision of informationand for adequate instruction, training and supervision in theuse of cleaning products and other chemicals. There are alsorequirements for child care workplaces to have a register ofhazardous substances and a copy of the Material Safety DataSheet (MSDSs) for each hazardous substance at theworkplace and to reduce the risk of injury or harm that mayoccur by following the safety instructions on the label and inthe MSDS for the product.

If chemicals are used for wading pools, your localgovernment’s Environmental Health section can providefurther advice and information.

15

General requirements of occupationalsafety and health laws

The Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 sets out

requirements for people in workplaces including employers

and employees.

Employers

Employers have a duty to take reasonable care of their own

safety and health at work and to provide and maintain a work

environment where their employees are not exposed to

hazards. Employers must also ensure, as far as practicable,

that the health of other people who are not employees is not

harmed by the work.

As part of the process, employers should identify hazards in

their workplaces and assess and control risks associated with

those hazards. Reducing the risk of exposure to infectious

diseases in a workplace would be part of the general duty

for employers to protect themselves and their employees.

Employers must identify factors in their workplaces that may

allow the spread of infectious diseases and make changes to

prevent and control the spread of these diseases.

This includes providing safe and healthy systems of work

with adequate information, instruction, training and

supervision for employees. In situations where personal

protective clothing and equipment is required, the employer

should provide it at no charge to employees.

Employers must consult and cooperate with safety and health

representatives, if any, and other employees at the workplace

on safety and health matters, including infection control.

Employees

Employees should take reasonable care for their own safety

and health at work. They should also avoid adversely

affecting the safety and health of children, other staff

members and visitors in the workplace.

16

Employees should follow the employer’s safety instructions,

cooperate with their employer on work related safety andhealth matters, use the protective clothing and equipmentprovided, and tell their employer about any work-relatedinjuries or anything that they consider to be hazardous intheir workplace.

Notification of certain infectious diseases

Employers are required to notify the WorkSafe WesternAustralia Commissioner if an employee is affected by certaindiseases. The diseases include tuberculosis, viral hepatitis,Legionnaires’ Disease and HIV. This requirement onlyapplies if the employee was infected with the disease as aresult of work involving exposure to blood and bloodproducts, body secretions, excretions or other sources ofinfection. Employees in child care workplaces are involvedin this type of work, so the requirement would apply to theiremployers.

Employers are also required to notify the Commissioner ofcertain diseases contracted following contact with animalsand animal products. This is less likely to apply to workersin child care workplaces. More information is available inthe Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996.(Regulation 2.5).

In a situation where an employee advises an employer thathe or she has one of the diseases listed above, the employercan obtain the form required for the report to theCommissioner from WorkSafe or a copy of the form isavailable in the book of Regulations (refer to Form 2 inSchedule 2 of the Regulations).

This requirement to report certain diseases is in addition tothe general requirement in the Act to report certain types ofinjuries, including work-related injuries that are likely toprevent an employee from being unable to work for ten daysor more.

17

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act w

ith in

fect

edP

erso

nal h

ygie

ne.

surf

aces

Who

opin

g c

oug

hB

acte

riaA

irbor

ne d

rop

lets

Exc

lusi

on. V

acci

ne a

vaila

ble

.

Oth

er

Con

junc

tiviti

sB

acte

ria, v

irus,

Dire

ct c

onta

ct w

ith e

yeE

xclu

sion

whi

le d

isch

arg

ecom

pla

ints

chem

ical

s or

secr

etio

ns o

r inf

ecte

dfro

m e

ye. P

erso

nal h

ygie

ne.

alle

rgie

sob

ject

sTr

eatm

ent o

f inf

ecte

d e

yes.

Appendix

One

Com

mon infe

cti

ous

dis

ease

sco

ntin

ued

Cyt

omeg

alov

irus

Viru

sA

irbor

ne d

rop

lets

.P

erso

nal h

ygie

ne.

Infa

nts

may

be

infe

cted

by

thei

r mot

her.

Infa

nts

excr

ete

the

viru

s in

thei

rur

ine

for m

onth

s

21

Specif

icC

om

mon

Cause

Tra

nsm

issi

on

Pre

venti

on

dis

ease

snam

e

Oth

er

Ear

infe

ctio

ns (o

titis

)B

acte

ria o

r viru

ses

Con

tact

with

infe

ctio

usE

xclu

sion

if fl

uid

from

the

ear.

co

mp

lain

tsflu

id fr

om th

e ea

rP

erso

nal h

ygie

ne.

cont

inue

d

Hep

atiti

s A

Viru

sFa

ecal

-ora

l rou

teE

xclu

sion

ap

plie

s at

sta

ges

of i

llnes

s.P

erso

nal h

ygie

ne.

Vacc

ine

avai

lab

le.

Hep

atiti

s B

Viru

sS

exua

lly a

nd th

roug

hVa

ccin

e av

aila

ble

.b

lood

and

bod

y flu

ids

Sta

ndar

d p

reca

utio

ns.

Hep

atiti

s C

Viru

sB

lood

Sta

ndar

d p

reca

utio

ns.

Appendix

One

Com

mon infe

cti

ous

dis

ease

sco

ntin

ued

22

NO

TE

: T

he N

HM

RC

rec

omm

end

s th

at c

hild

ren

who

are

phy

sica

lly u

nwel

l sho

uld

be

excl

uded

from

atte

ndin

g s

choo

l, p

resc

hool

and

chi

ldca

re c

entr

es.

Specif

icC

om

mon

Cause

Tra

nsm

issi

on

Pre

venti

on

dis

ease

snam

e

Oth

er

HIV

/AID

SVi

rus

Sex

ually

and

thro

ugh

Sta

ndar

d p

reca

utio

ns.

co

mp

lain

tsbl

ood.

Can

be

from

cont

inue

dm

othe

r to

infa

nt d

urin

gbi

rth

Men

ing

itis

Viru

s or

bac

teria

Dire

ct c

onta

ct w

ithE

xclu

sion

. Per

sona

l hyg

iene

.d

rop

lets

or d

isch

arg

efro

m th

e no

se a

nd th

roat

Mum

ps

Viru

sA

irbor

ne d

rop

lets

Exc

lusi

on.V

acci

ne a

vaila

ble

.

Appendix

One

Com

mon infe

cti

ous

dis

ease

sco

ntin

ued

23

Other relevant publications

Occupational Safety and Health Legislation

The Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 and theOccupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996 can bepurchased from WorkSafe, Westcentre, 1260 Hay Street,West Perth [Tel. (08) 9327 8777] or State Law Publisher,10 William Street, Perth [Tel. (08) 9321 7688]. Thelegislation is also available from the State Law Publisherswebsite [www.slp.wa.gov.au]. Copies are held in theWorkSafe Library, 5th floor. 1260 Hay Street, West Perth.

WorkSafe Western Australia Commission Publications

The following WorkSafe Western Australia Commissioncodes of practice, guidance notes and other publications canbe purchased from WorkSafe, Westcentre, 1260 Hay Street,West Perth [Tel. (08) 9327 8777], or downloaded from theSafetyline website [www.safetyline.wa.gov.au]. Copies arealso held in the WorkSafe Library.

Codes of Practice

● First Aid, Workplace Amenities and Personal Protective Equipment

● The Management of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis at Workplaces

● Manual Handling

Guidance Notes

● Election of Safety and Health Representatives, Representatives and Committees and Resolution of Issues

● General Duty of Care in Western Australian Workplaces

New information that is produced by the Commission fromtime-to-time is usually available through the SafetyLinewebsite [www.safetyline.wa.gov.au].

24

Infectious Diseases Reference

Staying Healthy in Child Care. Third edition. June 2002.Commonwealth of Australia.

This document can be purchased from AustralianCommonwealth Government Bookshop (Tel: 9322 4737),or at http://www.health.gov.au/nhmrc/publications

25

Contacts for further information

Chamber of Commerce and Industry180 Hay StreetEAST PERTH WA 6004Tel: 9365 7555Email: info@cciwa.com

Department of Community DevelopmentFamily and Children Services189 Royal StreetEAST PERTH WA 6004Tel: 9222 2555

Department of HealthCommunicable Disease Control BranchGrace Vaughan House227 Stubbs TerraceSHENTON PARK WA 6008Tel: 9388 4999

UnionsWALevel 479 Stirling StreetPERTH WA 6000Tel.: 9328 7877Email: unionswa@tlcwa.org.au

WorkSafeDepartment of Consumer and Employment ProtectionWESTCENTRE1260 Hay StreetWEST PERTH WA 6005Telephone: (08) 9327 8777Facsimile: (08) 9321 8973TTY: (08) 9327 8838Email: safety@docep.wa.gov.au

Your local government’s Environmental Health section

W o r k S a f eW e s t e r nA u s t r a l i aCOMMISSION

March 2003ISBN 0-7307-6125-8

WESTCENTRE1260 Hay Street West Perth

PO Box 294 West Perth 6872Ph: (08)9327 8777 Fax: (08)9321 8973

Comprehensive work safety and healthinformation can be found at:

www.safetyline.wa.gov.au

Safetyline is a service provided by theDepartment of Consumer and

Employment Protection

(www.docep.wa.gov.au)