Biocontainment equipment and training for employees

Fraser Health is committed to keeping our patients and populations safe from rare and emerging pathogens.

This includes protecting our employees and physicians charged with treating such pathogens in future.

Surrey Memorial Hospital has been selected as the site of British Columbia’s first permanent Biocontainment Treatment Centre. The B.C. Centre is a Ministry of Health initiative to ensure the temporary unit established at this site in 2014 will be sustained in future.

Training

Infection Prevention and Control, Workplace Health and Population and Public Health have been preparing to manage any suspect cases, plan safety protocols and prepare. Training has been provided for front line staff and will continue as the B.C. Biocontainment Centre is established. We will continue to reassess our processes and protocols to ensure staff have the necessary tools and are comfortable using them.

The initial focus is the correct and safe technique for putting on and removing personal protective equipment. Training is being supported by clinical experts. Further training modules are being developed to simulate the management of suspected and diagnosed cases, and will be extended to the whole health authority.

Employees are encouraged to review the Fraser Health Infection Prevention and Control Acute Care Manual guidelines for contact, droplet and airborne precautions.

Policies and procedures

All our existing policies and procedures for treating and assessing rare and emerging pathogens such as Ebola can be found on FH Pulse. These are consistent with national and international guidelines and we encourage you to take a moment to review them.

Should you suspect a patient may be infected with a rare or emerging pathogen such as Ebola, immediately notify the on-call medical health officer at 604-527-4806.

Standards and guidelines

Infection control / personal protective equipment

Low-risk personal protective equipment

High-risk personal protective equipment

Primary care

Resources