What is a Cross-Contamination? Tips to Prevent it.

Every idiot that thinks they can buy a tattoo machine and start inking up their friends always seems to forgets one key element - the prevention of cross-contamination. This is the part that can make your "clients" really sick or even kill them, but your average scratcher usually doesn't pay any attention to it. As long as they've got a working machine, a needle and some ink, that's all they need to become the next great tattoo artist, right? It's time for a wake-up call, folks.

This tech tip on cross-contamination I think will be the most important tech tip that I will ever write, because cross-contamination is something that should not be overlooked and should be taken very serious by everyone involved in the tattoo and piercing industry. For those who don't already know, cross-contamination is the spread of micro-organisms from one surface to another or from something that is contaminated to something that is not. One of the biggest mistakes that I see when I visit a tattoo shop now don't get me wrong, but the fact is in India very few tattoo shops do follow strict methods to prevent cross-contamination..But others need to clean up their act now. All the sterilization in the world is not going to make a difference to your client or to you if things are getting cross-contaminated. Cross-contamination is a very serious and a very deadly situation. The situation shall be call as a UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS. A universal precaution is a system that prevents the spread of infections from person to person. Simply put, it means that I treat all blood and other body fluids as potentially infectious. Treat every client as if they have every known disease to mankind. With this in mind you tend to take every precaution and you are much more aware of cross-contamination. Some of the ways that cross-contamination can occur is as follows:
* if strict attention to hand washing is not observed
* if clean instruments are placed on unclean surfaces
* if contaminated and clean instruments come into contact with one another
* if one or more tattooist use the same equipment or materials

Here are the most common observations that I have noticed:
1. Answering the telephone with soiled gloves
2. Adjusting overhead light with soiled gloves
3. Adjusting power supply with soiled gloves
4. Touching ink bottles or ink tray with soiled gloves
5. Adjusting or handling furniture or equipment with soiled gloves
6. Stuffing garbage into the garbage can without changing gloves

Simple things you can do to prevent cross-contamination. Preparation of the work area is the key. It is very important that you completely prepare your work area so as to avoid having to leave the work area in the middle of a tattoo to get something that may be needed. Interrupting your procedure increases the risk of cross-contaminating surfaces.

Mail me at tattoogizmo.com@gmail.com, if you want to know more about Cross Contamination.