BACKGROUND: To understand healthcare personnel's infection prevention behaviour has long been viewed as a key factor in preventing healthcare-associated infections. Suboptimal hand hygiene compliance and handling of materials, equipment and surfaces present the main risks for potential organism transmission. Further exploration is needed regarding the role of context-specific conditions and the infection prevention behaviours of healthcare personnel. Such knowledge could enable the development of new intervention strategies for modifying behaviour.

AIM: To describe risk behaviours for organism transmission in daily care activities over time.

METHODS: Unstructured observations of healthcare personnel carrying out patient related activities were performed on 12 occasions over a period of 18 months.

FINDINGS: Risk behaviours for organism transmission occur frequently in daily care activities and the results shows that the occurrence is somewhat stable over time. Interruptions in care activities contribute to an increased risk for organism transmission that could lead to subsequent healthcare-associated infection.

CONCLUSION: Interventions aimed at reducing the risks of healthcare-associated infections need to focus on strategies that address: hand hygiene compliance; the handling of materials, equipment, work clothes and surfaces; as well as the effects of interruptions in care activities if they are to alter healthcare personnel's infection prevention behaviour sufficiently.