Final answer:
The "no bare-hand contact" rule is a practice to avoid contamination and infection by preventing direct hand contact with sterile materials and patients, requiring thorough handwashing, the use of gloves, and other protective measures in healthcare and lab settings.
Step-by-step explanation:
The "no bare-hand contact" rule refers to a standard practice in healthcare and laboratory settings aimed at reducing the risk of contamination and infection. When working with sterile equipment, such as pipettes and media in a lab, direct contact with hands, skin, or any non-sterilised surface should be avoided to maintain sterility and prevent the transmission of pathogens. In healthcare, rigorous handwashing protocols are followed by workers, especially before and after patient contact, and even more stringent scrubbing procedures are used in surgery to drastically reduce normal skin microbiota. In addition, the use of protective gloves is mandatory to prevent direct hand contact with hazardous materials, including broken glass.