Bloodborne Pathogen Safety for AHEC employees

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Bloodborne Pathogen Safety

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Bloodborne Pathogen Standard
 Required by OSHA (29 CFR 1910.1030)
 EPA Worker Protection Standards mirror
OSHA and cover ALL government agencies.
 Applies to employees in all industries who
may be exposed to blood or other potentially
infectious materials

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Types of Bloodborne Pathogens
 The main types of bloodborne pathogens
you’re most at risk for are:
– Human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV)
– Hepatitis A virus (HAV)
– Hepatitis B virus (HBV)
– Hepatitis C virus (HCV)

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Human Immunodeficiency Virus
(HIV)
 The virus which causes AIDS
 Devastates the body’s immune system
 ~1 million persons living with HIV/AIDS in
U.S.; 45,000 new cases in 2000
 Symptoms: flu like illness, weakness,
diarrhea, weight loss.
 Signs of illness may not be present for years
 AIDS is chronic and fatal

5. Hepatitis A (HAV)
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Hepatitis B (HBV)
 Attacks the liver
 Survives in dried blood for up to 1 week at
room temperature
 300,000 new infections annually; 1.4% result
in death
 Symptoms: fatigue, nausea, vomiting,
abdominal pain, anorexia
 Can be chronic and fatal

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Hepatitis C (HCV)
 Can lead to chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and
liver cancer
 4 million infected in U.S.
– Only 25% diagnosed
 Can be chronic and fatal
 8,000-10,000 deaths annually
 No effective vaccine exists

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Infectious Materials
 Blood
 Semen
 Vaginal secretions
 Cerebrospinal, synovial, pericardial, pleural,
peritoneal or amniotic fluids
 Saliva
 Any body fluid contaminated with blood
 Sewage carries other biohazards (E.coli)

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Common On-the-Job Exposures
 Needlestick injuries (NSIs)
– Nurses sustain the most NSIs
– Custodians are also at risk
– As many as 1/3 of NSIs occur during
disposal
– 600,000 to 800,000 (est.) NSIs occur each
year
 Contact between infected fluids and
broken or damaged skin
 Contact between infected fluids and
mucous membranes (Eyes, nose or mouth)

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Possible Exposure Incidents
 During an industrial
accident
 While administering
First Aid
 During post-accident
clean-up
 When performing routine maintenance or
janitorial work

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Exposure Control Plan
 Universal precautions – everything is
contaminated
 Engineering controls – handwash facilities,
biohazard waste containers, sharps stations
 Work practice controls – PPE, spill clean-up,
waste disposal, exposure response
 Post-exposure follow-up

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Personal Protective Equipment
 First line of defense
 Examples and uses
 Limitations – not stick proof!
 Rules:
– Remove before leaving
work area
– Wash hands after removing
– Properly dispose of contaminated PPE

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Housekeeping: Spill Clean-up
 Use PPE & Universal Precautions
 Cover spill or area with paper towel or rags
 Pour disinfectant solution over towels or rags
 Leave for at least 10 minutes
 Place materials in appropriate container
 Arrange for pick-up and disposal

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Housekeeping: Waste Disposal
 Use PPE when handling
 Leak-proof containers
 Proper labeling
– Labels
– Red Bags or Containers
 Drop-off sites

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What to Do if You’re Exposed?
 Contact with skin: wash exposed areas with
antibacterial soap and running water
 Contact with eyes or mucous membranes:
flush affected area with running water for at
least 15 minutes
 Contact with clothing: remove contaminated
clothing, wash underlying skin
 Report exposure to supervisor immediately
 Seek medical attention right away

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Post-exposure Evaluation
 Following an exposure
incident, a medical
evaluation must be done
 Must follow procedures
specified by OSHA
 Must include lab tests
 Free to employee
 Diagnoses are confidential

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Post-exposure Vaccination
If workers are exposed to infectious materials,
Hepatitis A/B vaccinations will be made
available
– Within 10 days
– At no cost to employee
– Under a healthcare professional’s
supervision

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Follow-up Evaluation
Subsequent follow-up should include:
– Medical evaluation
– Testing of source person (if possible)
– Blood test
– Post-exposure prophylaxis
– Counseling
– Evaluation of illness

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Our Obligations to You
 We must provide hand washing facilities
 We must provide you with personal
protective equipment
– Gloves
– Goggles
– Face shields
– Aprons
– Other appropriate PPE

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Hazard Information
 We must inform you of bloodborne pathogen
hazards through:
– Warning labels with orange or orange/red
biohazard symbol
• Labels must be on
– Infectious waste containers
– Refrigerators and freezers
holding infectious materials
– Signs on restricted areas

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Medical Records of Exposure
 For each exposed worker, medical records must be
kept for duration of employment plus 30 years
 Records must be confidential
 Must include:
– HVB vaccination status
– Exam results
– Medical testing and follow-up records
– Written opinions
– Info provided to healthcare professionals

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Privacy of Medical Records
Private medical records of bloodborne
pathogen exposure:
– Must be accessible to
• Infected employees
• Anyone with the employee’s written consent
• OSHA
• NIOSH
– Aren’t accessible to us (your employer)
– Must be disposed of in accordance with
HIPAA privacy regulations

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Training Records
 Records of your training for bloodborne
pathogen safety must be kept for three years
 The records must document:
– Dates of training
– Content of training
– Your trainer’s name and qualifications
– Names and titles of everyone who attended
the training

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Summary
 Contact with infectious body fluids can expose you to
bloodborne pathogens.
 HIV and Hepatitis are commonly transmitted via
needlestick injuries, or contact between infected fluids
and skin or mucous membranes.
 If exposed to bloodborne pathogens, you must wash your
hands and eyes, report the incident, seek medical
attention, be vaccinated and undergo testing.
 As your employer, we’re responsible for providing an
exposure control plan, cleaning facilities, PPE and
hazard information.