What is the primary focus of standard precautions in healthcare settings?

The primary focus of standard precautions in healthcare settings is to protect healthcare workers from exposure to infectious agents. Standard precautions are a set of practices designed to minimize the risk of transmission of pathogens. This includes the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), safe handling of potentially contaminated materials, and appropriate disposal of sharps and biohazardous waste. By prioritizing the safety and health of healthcare workers, these precautions also indirectly protect patients, but the main emphasis is on safeguarding those who provide care, ensuring they have a reduced risk of occupational exposure to various infectious diseases.

The other options, while important aspects of infection control, do not capture the central aim of standard precautions. Preventing patient infections and reducing equipment contamination are certainly goals of overall infection control policies, and promoting hand hygiene is a crucial component of these efforts. However, the core intention of standard precautions specifically revolves around the protection of healthcare workers.