Chemical Safety and Hygiene

Chemical and Biological Information

• Useful product disposal guidelines and medical and first aid information can be found on an MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet).
• Chemical products that destroy all bacteria, fungi, and viruses (but not spores) on surfaces are disinfectants.
• Antiseptics are used on living tissue, sanitizers reduce the number of microorganisms, and sterilizers destroy all microorganisms.

Regulatory Agencies and Laws

• State regulatory agencies include licensing agencies, boards of cosmetology, and health departments.
• Laws are also called statutes.

Disease and Infection

• Invasion of body tissues by disease-causing pathogenic bacteria can result in an infection.
• Inflammation is not an infection, but a response to tissue damage.

Sanitation and Cleaning

• To remove all visible dirt and debris from tools, implements, and equipment, one must clean them by washing with soap and water.
• Disinfectants are used to destroy microorganisms on surfaces, and sterilizers are used to destroy all microorganisms.

Bacteria

• One-celled microorganisms with both plant and animal characteristics are bacteria.
• Nonpathogenic bacteria are harmless, while pathogenic bacteria can cause disease.
• Cocci are a type of bacteria that rarely shows any active motility.
• Bacteria generally consist of an outer cell wall containing a liquid called protoplasm.
• Together, the active stage and inactive, or spore-forming, stage of bacteria are referred to as the life cycle of bacteria.

Inflammation

• Characterized by distinct symptoms, including swelling, pain, and heat
• Bacterial infection is often accompanied by the presence of pus
• Local infections, such as pimples or abscesses, are typically confined to a specific area
• Communicable diseases are infectious and can be transmitted from one person to another
• Parasitic submicroscopic particles, such as viruses, can infect and cause disease