Skin penetration operators' knowledge and attitudes towards infection control.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the knowledge and attitudes of owners/managers of commercial skin-penetration premises regarding infection control.


METHODS
A telephone survey was conducted with a randomly selected sample of 874 owners/managers.


RESULTS
Participants appeared to lack knowledge of essential infection-control practices. Less than 39% correctly identified recommended disinfection procedures, and between 12% to 67% were not aware of inappropriate sterlization procedures. Almost all participants accepted the need for guidelines. Half acknowledged a need to improve their infection-control compliance, and most accepted having their premises regularly checked by the councils.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a considerable opportunity to increase infection-control compliance among skin-penetration operators.
Oberdorfer
Aurmporn
A
School of Medical Practice and Population Health, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, Australia.
Wiggers
John H
JH
Considine
Robyn J
RJ
Bowman
Jenny
J
Cockburn
Jill
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D003132:Commerce; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D003625:Data Collection; D004203:Disinfection; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales; D011897:Random Allocation; D013242:Sterilization; D013653:Tattooing / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013689:Telephone