Sabies is a highly contagious condition. Whilst in the army my whole Sqn myself included "caught" scabies. This is a little mite that burrows under the skin to lay eggs, usually in the warmer places on the body such as between the fingers, toes and around the groin area. This causes an intense itching and is very uncomfortable, it is also difficult to get rid of the little parasites. I am not aware of any quick fixes or magic potions that are available to remedy an "infestation" In ours and my case it was a matter of segregation, isolation, hot baths, application of a foul smelling white liquid twice daily and all kit through an autoclave. Hopefully things will have improved over the intervening years.

Skin to skin contact usually and to be honest you can get it through contact with anyone at anytime. One of those things not to get paranoid about really. I'm not aware that you can actually prevent it once you've been in contact with an infected person but someone else may know better.I'm no expert. Howveer, if they are cleaning aren't they wearing (non-latex) gloves anyway to prevent dermatitis from repeated contact with chemicals and water.

Dear ffion, An interesting question, however I have to say that I have never heard of such a product that would be that easy to use or provide a quick fix. Obviously ‘Scabies’ is mite which burrows & lays its eggs under the skin, hence the scratching etc, therefore treatment tends to be more intense as the mite’s themselves cannot be seen by the naked eye and involves skin samples to be taken etc. I’m not a physician by any means but I think in this instance prevention is the best policy. Obviously, avoiding contact with infected individuals helps, and good personal hygiene are the most important means of preventing scabies, along with regular laundering of clothes etc. If I were an employer and to prevent an incident to which you refer, I think following a few basic steps would be more than adequate.  Follow the ‘Principles of Prevention’ Avoid the risk if possible, evaluate the risk that cannot be avoided, combat the risk at source, adapt the work to the individual, adapt technical progress, replace dangerous articles with non or less dangerous, prevention policy & lastly PPE In this instance I think suitable PPE would need to be explored (unless already provided)? I’m guessing that not all premises that are serviced by the business present this risk, so I think in addition to the controls already implemented, maybe further information, instruction & training given to all those at potential risk regarding scabies and their effects? Depending on the size and nature of the business, I would be inclined as an extra, to set up a basic employee ‘Health surveillance’ programme which will monitor the employee regarding such a hazard of scabies, skin conditions etc & also in respect of using cleaning agents. Best regards, KS

There is a product called Tetmosol Soap, available from egroup UK Ltd which helps prevent infestation: http://www.ebrahimjee.co...ps/tetmosol/tetmosol.php But before everyone goes running out to buy some, it is NOT approved for use within the UK.

The risk of your colleagues acquiring scabies in any of its common forms may be somewhat lower than from social contract or patient care but it is generally considered possible to contract scabies from contaminated funiture and furnishings. I would imagine that that risk is actually very low, and more so if your staff and wearing standard workwear and maintain basic (social) hygiene precautions. There is no approved scabicide suitable for repeated use so prophylaxis with a recognised scabicide is not feasible - prophylaxis is recommended for institutional or domestic infections, but that is completely different from the circumstances you describe that would necessitate repeated cycles of prophylaxis for repeated [resumed] exposure events. Be aware that most scabicides are toxic and irritant and overuse, even of OTC products, is not recommended. Awareness, and recognition and prompt treatment are the most appropriate options.

Operative: I feel very uncomfortable with this term as surely in this day and age we are at least all known as staff or even employees?