Preventing infections in schools

Schools can promote wellness by implementing a "stay home if you are sick" policy for staff, students, and volunteers. Staying home at the start of illness will help protect others and may help speed recovery. Always follow school and board policies on the management of sick children, management of infections communicable diseases and exclusion of sick children.

Unwell students with symptoms such as fever, rash, sore throat, and vomiting or diarrhea should be encouraged to stay home when sick. This will help to reduce the spread of infection in your school. In these common situations, principals should use their discretion or Board policy to decide whether a student should be at school or home.

There may be some circumstances when principals will need to work with Peel Public Health to exclude students from school because of a disease investigation. Peel Public Health will notify the Board and schools of these situations and will provide exclusion and readmission guidelines as required.

Hand hygiene

Washing hands thoroughly with soap and water or with an alcohol-based hand rub, is the most effective way to both prevent infection and stop spread once an infection is present. Unclean hands are the most common means of transmitting infections when we touch our eyes, nose, and mouth.

Promote hand hygiene in your school by:

• Ensuring that washrooms and kitchen areas are regularly stocked with liquid pump soap and paper towels.
• Posting instructional signage about hand hygiene in kitchens and washrooms.
• Educating staff and students about cleaning hands properly and often.
• Recommending students clean their hands before snacks and lunch and after outdoor activities.
• Promoting hand hygiene prior to any food preparation and handling by parents, volunteers, staff, and students.
• Supervising and helping others learn good hand washing methods.
• Teaching children in a relaxed and fun manner such as singing the alphabet or a hand washing song.
• Providing easily accessible hand washing sinks or hand hygiene products.
• Providing warm water in washrooms so children are not deterred from washing their hands.

Refer to the correct handwashing poster.

Alcohol-based hand rubs (also called hand sanitizer) containing 70% to 90% alcohol can be used when hands are not visibly soiled. Alcohol based hand rubs can be a fire hazard and harmful if swallowed. To reduce the risk, staff should assist and supervise children when using the hand rub. Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth until hands are dry.

Cover coughs and sneezes

Respiratory infections spread easily in schools. Children and staff should cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, or cough and sneeze into their flexed elbow. Throw away used tissues and immediately wash hands.