title: Skin penetration operators' knowledge and attitudes towards infection control.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Practice and Population Health, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, Australia.
authors.forename: Aurmporn
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oberdorfer
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wiggers
authors.forename: Robyn J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Considine
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bowman
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cockburn
mesh_terms: 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