Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Anaphylaxis
- A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction needing immediate emergency treatment.
- Biological agent
- A micro-organism such as a bacterium or virus, or material containing one, that can cause infection or other harm to health.
- Blood-borne virus (BBV)
- An infection such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV that can be passed on through blood.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Cold chain
- Keeping vaccines and certain medicines within a safe temperature range from delivery to use.
- Consignment note
- The legal record that tracks hazardous waste from the site where it is produced to its final disposal.
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)
- The law for safely managing chemicals and other hazardous substances at work.
- Cryotherapy
- A treatment that uses extreme cold, such as liquid nitrogen, to freeze and remove skin lesions.
- Cytotoxic / cytostatic medicine
- A medicine, often used in cancer care, that kills or stops the growth of cells and is harmful if handled without protection.
- Decontamination
- The combined process of cleaning, disinfecting and, where needed, sterilising equipment so it is safe to reuse.
- Dermatitis
- Inflammation of the skin, often causing redness, dryness and itching, which can be triggered by frequent contact with water or chemicals at work.
- Dewar flask
- An insulated container designed to store very cold liquids such as liquid nitrogen safely.
- Engineering controls
- Physical measures, such as ventilation or enclosed equipment, that reduce exposure to a hazard at its source.
- Entonox
- A ready-mixed gas of nitrous oxide and oxygen used to provide short-term pain relief.
- Fixative
- A chemical, such as formalin, used to preserve a tissue or specimen sample so it can be examined later.
- Formalin / formaldehyde
- A strong-smelling chemical used to preserve specimens; it irritates the eyes and airways and can trigger asthma.
- Glutaraldehyde
- A chemical disinfectant used to clean instruments that can irritate the skin and airways and cause asthma.
- Hazard Group
- A classification of biological agents by how dangerous they are, with higher groups posing greater risk of serious infection.
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
- The main law setting out employers' general duties to protect the health and safety of staff and others.
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
- The national body responsible for regulating and enforcing workplace health and safety in Great Britain.
- Health Technical Memorandum (HTM)
- Official guidance setting standards for the design, safety and management of healthcare premises and equipment.
- Healthcare assistant (HCA)
- A member of staff who supports nurses and clinicians with patient care and clinical tasks.
- Hepatitis B / hepatitis C
- Viral infections of the liver that can be passed on through blood; hepatitis B can be prevented by vaccination.
- Hierarchy of control
- A ranked approach to reducing risk that starts with removing a hazard and treats protective equipment as the last resort.
- HIV
- A virus passed on through blood and certain body fluids that weakens the body's ability to fight infection.
- Infection prevention and control (IPC)
- The measures used to stop infection spreading between patients, staff and visitors.
- Inoculation injury
- An injury, such as a needlestick or cut, that breaks the skin and may expose a person to blood-borne infection.
- Legionella
- A bacterium found in water systems that can cause a serious form of pneumonia if breathed in as a fine spray.
- Local exhaust ventilation (LEV)
- Equipment that draws harmful dusts, fumes or vapours away from a work area at their source.
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
- The law requiring employers to assess workplace risks and put suitable arrangements in place to manage them.
- NaDCC (sodium dichloroisocyanurate)
- A chlorine-releasing chemical, usually in tablet or granule form, used to disinfect surfaces and clean up spillages.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
- The national body that produces evidence-based guidance on treatments and good practice in health and care.
- Near miss
- An event that could have caused harm but did not, by chance or because it was caught in time.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Items such as gloves, aprons and masks worn to protect against harm or infection.
- Phlebotomy
- The taking of blood samples from a patient for testing.
- Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)
- Urgent preventive treatment given after possible exposure to an infection such as HIV to reduce the chance of it taking hold.
- Reasonably practicable
- Doing what is sensible to reduce a risk, weighing the level of risk against the time, trouble and cost of controlling it.
- Registered Manager
- The person registered with the regulator as responsible for the day-to-day running of a service.
- Regulated activity
- A type of care or treatment the law requires a provider to register with the regulator to deliver.
- Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR)
- The law requiring certain workplace injuries, diseases and dangerous events to be reported to the Health and Safety Executive.
- Respiratory protective equipment (RPE)
- Masks or respirators worn to protect the wearer from breathing in harmful dusts, fumes, gases or vapours.
- Risk assessment
- A structured check identifying what could cause harm and what is being done to prevent it.
- Safety data sheet (SDS)
- A manufacturer's document describing a chemical's hazards and how to use, store and dispose of it safely.
- Sensitiser
- A substance that can cause an allergic reaction so that, after exposure, even small amounts trigger symptoms such as asthma or dermatitis.
- Seroconversion
- The point at which an infection takes hold and antibodies to it become detectable in a person's blood after exposure.
- Sharps
- Needles, blades and other items that can cut or puncture the skin.
- Single assessment framework
- The structure the regulator uses to judge a service, built around quality statements and five key questions (safe, effective, caring, responsive, well-led).
- Sodium hypochlorite
- A chlorine-based liquid disinfectant, similar to household bleach, used to clean and disinfect surfaces.
- Standard infection-control precautions
- The basic infection-prevention measures, such as hand hygiene and protective equipment, used with every patient.
- Tuberculosis (TB)
- A serious bacterial infection that mainly affects the lungs and can spread through the air.
- UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
- The national body responsible for protecting the public from infectious diseases and other health threats.
- Washer-disinfector
- A machine that automatically cleans and disinfects reusable instruments, reducing the need for manual handling of chemicals.
- Workplace exposure limit
- The maximum amount of a hazardous substance in the air that a worker may be exposed to over a set period.