Standard and transmission-based precautions

Standard precautions

Standard precautions are the primary strategy for reducing the spread of infections in healthcare settings.  They must be used for every patient, whether they are known whether they have an infection or not. 

Standard precautions include:

• hand hygiene,
• the use of appropriate personal protective equipment
• the safe use and disposal of sharps
• routine environmental cleaning
• reprocessing of reusable medical equipment and instruments
• respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette
• aseptic technique
• waste management
• appropriate handling of linen
   

Transmission-based precautions

Sometimes standard precautions are not enough to stop an infection from spreading. When this happens, transmission-based precautions also need to be used

There are three types of transmission-based precautions: 

• contact precautions
• droplet precautions
• airborne precautions

One or more of these may be required, depending on how the infection spreads between people. 

A local risk assessment should always be carried out to determine what precautions are needed to keep both patients and staff safe. 
 

Risk management in infection control

Hierarchy of controls

This factsheet explains how to use the hierarchy of controls, along with existing infection prevention and control systems, to identify and manage infection risks. It also provides information to help health service organisations meet the NSQHS Standards related to infection, prevention and control and risk management. 

• Use of the hierarchy of controls in infection prevention and control - Factsheet

Optimising ventilation for infection prevention and control in healthcare settings

This guidance explains why good ventilation is important in healthcare and how ventilation risks can be reduced to improve safety for patients and staff.

Health service organisations should use this guidance together with safety notices, alerts and other advice from their state or territory health departments, as well as the Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare

• Optimising ventilation for infection prevention and control in healthcare settings

Reprocessing of reusable medical devices

In December 2023, Standards Australia released AS 5369:2023 Reprocessing of reusable medical devices and other devices in health and non-health related facilities. 

This new standard replaces AS/NZS 4187:2014 Reprocessing of reusable medical devices in health service organisations and AS/NZS 4815:2006 Office-based health care facilities - Reprocessing of reusable medical and surgical instruments and equipment, and maintenance of the associated environment.

Action 3.17a of the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (and related Advisory NSQHS AS24/01) and Action 3.13a of the National Safety and Quality Primary and Community Healthcare Standards (see related Advisory PCH24/01) require healthcare services to have processes for reprocessing that are consistent with relevant national and international standards and manufacturers’ guidelines when reusable equipment and devices are used.

We have developed resources to assist health service organisations to implement the new reprocessing requirements:

• Transitioning from AS/NZS 4187:2014 to AS 5369:2023
• Transitioning from AS/NZS 4815:2006 to AS5369:2023
• Reprocessing reusable medical equipment gap analysis

See also Guidelines for reprocessing ultrasound transducers: 2026

Ensuring appropriate patient placement

Patients are at risk of catching or spreading infections to other patients and healthcare workers during a hospital visit. To reduce this risk patients should be assessed when they arrive and during their stay to make sure they are placed in the most suitable bed as quickly as possible. Choosing the right placement is an important part of transmission-based precautions, along with using dedicated equipment, wearing the right PPE, and keeping the environment clean.

The Patient Placement Guide supports nurses, doctors, bed managers, patient-flow managers and after-hours managers to make safe and appropriate bed allocation decisions, especially when infection prevention and control advice is not immediately available. 

Standardised infection control signs and posters, like the ones below, also support good patient placement by reminding healthcare workers, patients and visitors of the precautions required.
 

Additional resources

• NSQHS Standards Implementation guide for Action 3.11 Aseptic Technique
• Principles of aseptic technique: Information for healthcare workers
• Appropriate and safe use of chlorhexidine in healthcare settings

• Infection Prevention and Control Poster - Standard precautions poster