Infection control questions and answers (interview and study guide)

These questions often come up in job interviews, inductions and workplace training. Use them to check your knowledge, then take our free course for the full picture.

1. What is infection control?

The practices that stop infections spreading between people — hand hygiene, PPE, cleaning, safe handling of waste and sharps, and following precautions for known infections.

2. What is the single most important infection control practice?

Hand hygiene. Most infections in care and community settings are spread on hands.

3. What are the 5 moments for hand hygiene?

Before touching a person, before a clean or aseptic procedure, after a body fluid exposure risk, after touching a person, and after touching a person's surroundings.

4. When should you use soap and water instead of hand rub?

When hands are visibly soiled, after using the toilet, before handling food, and when caring for someone with gastroenteritis.

5. What is the chain of infection?

Six linked steps: infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry and a susceptible host. Breaking any link stops transmission.

6. What are standard precautions?

Baseline practices used with everyone, every time — regardless of whether an infection is known.

7. What are transmission-based precautions?

Extra precautions added for known or suspected infections: contact, droplet or airborne precautions, depending on how the germ spreads.

8. In what order do you put on PPE?

Hand hygiene, gown or apron, mask, eye protection, then gloves.

9. In what order do you take off PPE?

Gloves first, then hand hygiene; gown or apron; eye protection; mask; then hand hygiene again — touching only the clean parts.

10. Can gloves replace hand hygiene?

No. Gloves can have tiny holes and become contaminated. Clean your hands before putting them on and after taking them off.

11. What is the difference between cleaning and disinfection?

Cleaning removes dirt and most germs with detergent and water. Disinfection kills many remaining germs, and works properly only on a clean surface.

12. What is contact time?

How long a disinfectant must stay wet on a surface to work. It's on the product label.

13. How do you manage a blood spill?

Isolate the area, wear PPE, absorb and remove the bulk, clean, disinfect if required, dispose of waste safely, clean your hands and report it.

14. What should you do after a needlestick injury?

Wash the area with soap and water, report it to your supervisor immediately and follow your workplace's exposure procedure for prompt medical assessment.

15. Why shouldn't you shake used linen?

Shaking can release germs and skin flakes into the air and onto surfaces.

16. How should used sharps be disposed of?

Immediately, by the person who used them, into an approved sharps container at the point of use. Never recap needles.

17. What is an outbreak?

More cases of an infection than expected in a group of people over a short period — for example, several residents with gastro in two days.

18. What should you do if you're unwell before a shift?

Stay home, tell your supervisor and follow your workplace's policy on testing and returning to work.

19. Why is respiratory hygiene important?

Covering coughs and sneezes and cleaning your hands reduces the droplets that spread colds, flu and COVID-19.

20. Who is most at risk from infections?

Older people, young children and people with chronic illness, wounds, devices such as catheters, or weakened immune systems.

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