Personal hygiene

Practicing personal hygiene prevents pathogens from spreading in workspaces and to patients. It also reduces your own risk of contracting an infectious disease.

• Do not wear jewelry, accessories, or aids on your hands and forearms, such as rings, bracelets, watches, piercings, braces, splints, stockings, casts, silver splints, etc..
• When providing care, wear short-sleeved clothing so that your forearms are uncovered up to the elbows.

• Ensure that your nails are well-groomed, smooth, and cut short.
• Do not wear nail polish, nail decorations, gel nails, or artificial nails.

• Wear clothing that meets these requirements and do not take work clothes home with you:
  • Washed daily.
  • Uncovered forearms.
  • Smooth fabric.
  • Can be machine washed according to the manufacturer's instructions and hospital policy.
  • Wear the clothing closed.
  • Change clothes immediately if they become visibly soiled.
  • Wear closed, clean footwear made from easy-to-clean material.
  • Clean footwear immediately if it becomes visibly soiled.
  • Scarves, headscarves, hoods, and other head coverings are permitted if they:
    • do not come into contact with the patient or patient materials during work
    • are changed at the start of each shift and changed immediately if visibly soiled
  • Disposable heat vests may be worn over work clothing, but not during direct patient contact or if there is a risk of contact with bodily fluids.

• Keep hair out of the face and tie long hair back or pin it up so that it cannot come into contact with the patient.
• Keep beards and moustaches trimmed short so that they cannot come into contact with the patient.
• Only wear an FFP2 mask on a clean-shaven face, otherwise the mask will not fit properly and will not provide adequate protection.
• Piercings, earrings, necklaces, hair accessories, and other jewelry should not come into contact with the patient.

• Do not eat or drink in areas where patients and patient materials are handled.