Our Infection Control Policy is designed to help you understand the practices we take to minimise the risk of clients and practitioners acquiring a healthcare-associated infection and to assist you in making informed decisions.
Best practice
Corporate Bodies and the practitioners representing them adhere to the Association of Massage Therapists (AMT) Massage Therapy Code of Conduct, including guidelines surrounding Infection Control and Hygiene.
Click here to View the Massage Therapy Code of Conduct.
Assumption of risk
The basis of good infection control is to assume that everyone is potentially infectious. Proper procedures have to be followed at all times. Corporate Bodies also requires every practitioner representing them holds a current first aid certificate prior to being booked for any job or attending any worksite.
Standard precautions
Hand Hygiene
Hand hygiene is considered one of the primary control measures for reducing the spread of infection. Corporate Bodies requires all practitioners to perform hand hygiene using the correct hand hygiene technique in accordance with World Health Organisation Guidelines. Hand hygiene refers to any action of hand cleansing, such as handwashing or hand rubbing.
Handwashing – Hands must be washed with soap and water when visibly dirty or visibly soiled, or after using the toilet.
Hand rubbing – Use of an alcohol-based hand rub is the preferred means for routine hand sterilisation in situations where hands are not visibly soiled. If alcohol-based hand rub is not readily accessible, hands must be washed with soap and water.
Hand hygiene is essential before and after contact with each client. To further promote hand hygiene, we encourage our practitioners to keep their natural nails short and clean.
Handling of Used Linen
A potential risk exists for microorganism transmission through exposure to contaminated linen. Practitioners are required to handle linen in a manner that minimises the transfer of microorganisms to other individuals and the environment. Linen used where direct exposure has taken place is changed with clean linen.
‘Single-use’ items (e.g. tissues) are disposed of in a manner that minimises the transfer of microorganisms to other individuals and the environment.
No cloth linen is used for any chair or roving/at-desk massage sessions. Tissues/disposable covers are used, placed over the sterilised face cushion and are changed and disposed of after each massage.
Equipment Cleanliness
When equipment is required to perform our service, Corporate Bodies practitioners bear the responsibility of equipment cleanliness and sterilisation. This includes attention to the cleaning of shared reusable equipment and ensuring suitable protection where required.
Practitioners are encouraged to routinely clean all frequently touched surfaces using cleaning and sterilising agents (alcohol-based). Disposable wipes or liquid steriliser should be used to clean any equipment surfaces before use.
Corporate Bodies agree to accommodate any reasonable equipment cleanliness requirements of the individual client as required.
Acute Respiratory Hygiene
Standard practice is to cover nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. If a tissue is not readily accessible, an elbow or shoulder should be used.
To minimise the risk of transmission of infection to others, any practitioner presenting with the signs and symptoms of an acute respiratory infection (e.g. cough, shortness of breath) must notify Corporate Bodies immediately and prior to attending any worksite. The practitioner will not attend work/client sites until they are free of fever (37.8° C or greater), signs of a fever, and any other symptoms for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing or other symptom-altering medicines.
Practitioners who become sick, or present with the signs and symptoms of acute respiratory infection during any client site visit will separate themselves from other individuals immediately.
Practitioners who have returned from travel to destinations with high risk of community spread of acute respiratory illness, or those with a sick family member at home are required to notify Corporate Bodies immediately and may require a risk assessment prior to returning to work.
Skin-to-Skin Contact
As stated under Hand Hygiene above, all care is taken by attending practitioners to ensure their hands are kept sanitised.
Skin to skin contact occurs with permission from the recipient and can include rear of neck, scalp/head and arms. No hand massage will be conducted for the foreseeable future.
Practitioners with any cuts or abrasions will cover them with a waterproof dressing in order to create a barrier to pathogens.
Presenting skin conditions: Practitioners will not provide massage with any presenting skin conditions of the hands. Clients/recipients with skin conditions are requested to inform their attending practitioner and generally the area affected is avoided.
Practitioner personal safety
Corporate Bodies requests that all clients notify us of any internal illnesses prior to a booking/visit. Ensuring the health and wellbeing of our practitioners. Where knowledge of illness is present for any individual, Corporate Bodies practitioners will not provide massage services to those affected. Corporate Bodies practitioners reserve the right to refuse massage provision to any and all individuals after communication with the client contact and Corporate Bodies head office.
Changes to our infection control policy
Corporate Bodies reserves the right to change this policy at any time. We will notify you of significant changes to our Infection Control Policy by sending a notice to your primary email address. You should periodically check the Site and this page for updates.
Contact us
Please, don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.