SECTION V: SAFE
WORK PRACTICES
(Understand the Hazards of Your Work
Environment)
Information presented is not intended to be
comprehensive or all inclusive; contact your supervisor, safety officer, or the
Environmental Health and Safety Office, 475-7041, for assistance or further
information on any given topic.
BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS EXPOSURE
Workplace Exposures to Someone Else's Blood (concerns about
Hepatitis B or AIDS):
There are various exposures to infectious diseases in
any setting, whether at home or at work, including air-borne diseases, such as
influenza and the common cold, and blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis B
virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The practice of "universal
precautions" is based on the premise that the body fluids of all persons
contain potentially infectious agents; therefore, avoiding contact with body
fluids prevents the risk of infection.
Because universal precautions are practiced, no
distinction is made between body fluids from individuals with a known disease
or those from individuals without symptoms or with an undiagnosed disease. Universal
precautions are to be practiced by employees at all times, particularly by
those who may be called upon to administer first aid.
Universal Precautions - Procedures
1.
Avoid direct skin
contact with body fluids whenever possible.
2.
Treat all blood
and body fluids as contaminated.
3.
Follow normal
hygiene practices, including thorough washing of hands at regular intervals or
as needed (e.g., before eating, after use of a rest room, etc.), throughout the day. Hand washing is of critical importance in
preventing the spread of disease.
4. Wash all skin surfaces that become contaminated and wash
hands immediately after removal of gloves.
5. Proper hand washing requires the use of soap, with
vigorous scrubbing for approximately five seconds, followed by thorough rinsing
under a running stream of water for another five seconds. Soap suspends easily removable soil and
microorganisms, allowing them to be washed off. Running water is necessary to carry away the
dirt and debris.
6. Wear gloves when touching the blood or body fluids of
another individual or a contaminated surface (e.g., treating nose bleeds,
bleeding abrasions, handling clothes soiled by urine or feces, when diapering,
etc.).
7. Wear masks and protective eye wear or face shields
during procedures likely to produce blood or body fluids.
8. Wear gowns, smocks or lab coats when procedures are
likely to cause splashes of blood or body fluids.
9. During administration of first aid, use some sort of
barrier between self and the victim’s blood or other body fluids (e.g., gloves;
several layers of dressings). When
administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, place some type of barrier between
own mouth and that of the victim (e.g., one-way valved resuscitation device).
10.
Any employee with
open wounds, weeping sores or chaffed skin who will come in contact with
potentially contaminated sources is to wear appropriate personal protective
equipment (e.g., gloves).
11.
Call the appropriate
college’s Buildings and Grounds Office (SCC: 533-7163; SFCC: 533-3846) as
needed for clean up of body fluids such as vomit, blood, feces or urine. When this is not feasible for the specific
situation or location, follow cleaning/decontamination procedures for
non-custodial employees (as indicated below).
The only exception to the use of universal precautions
is in rare instances, such as unexpected medical emergencies, where the donning
of protective equipment may not be immediately possible, and where the use of
such equipment would prevent the proper delivery of healthy care or public
safety services, or would create a greater hazard to their personal safety than
if they used such equipment. Even in
these situations, where the provider of health care or public safety services
is accorded a degree of leeway, the employee must not ignore the underlying
concept of universal precautions nor decline to use available personal
protective equipment.
If Direct Skin Contact Should Occur:
In these rare instances, hands and other affected skin
areas of all exposed persons should be thoroughly washed with soap and water
after direct contact has ceased. If
exposure involves the eyes, they should be flushed with copious amounts of
running water for at least 15 minutes; if the mouth is involved, it should be
rinsed thoroughly; it the nose is involved, it should be blown and the inside
of the nostrils wiped.
If an Exposure Incident Occurs:
(Definition:
"specific eye, mouth, other mucous membrane, non-intact skin, or
parenteral [piercing through the mucous membranes or skin barrier; e.g.,
needlestick, human bite, etc.] contact with blood or other potentially
infectious materials that results from the performance of an employee's
duties.)
Contact your supervisor or the CCS Environmental Health
and Safety Office, 475-7041, for instructions.
Cleaning/Decontamination Procedures, Body Fluid Spills (Non-Custodial
Employees)
1.
Treat all body
fluids as if infectious.
2.
Wear gloves
(preferably disposable) during the entire cleaning and disposal process.
3.
As appropriate
for the specific circumstances, use goggles and any other personal protective
equipment needed to reduce the likelihood of exposure to body fluids.
4.
Use one of the
following products when cleaning up body fluid spills:
·
household bleach
(1 part bleach diluted with 10 parts water)
·
if mixing 1:10
bleach/water solution: Needs to be done
daily or as needed, discarding any not used that day. To avoid eye or skin injury, always wear
latex gloves and splash goggles during the mixing operation. Avoid splashes and spills; bleach can also
cause clothing damage or stains. Put the
water in the container first, then the bleach.
Never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia.
Any contaminated or unused bleach solution should be disposed of in the
sanitary sewer drain upon completion of the clean up; this solution loses its
effectiveness after a prolonged period of time.
·
chemical
germicide approved for use as hospital disinfectant
·
phenolic
disinfectant
·
EPA registered
tuberculocidal compound
5.
Spray or pour the
product on the spill and let it sit for the length of time prescribed by the
manufacturer (for the 1:10 solution of household bleach and water, let sit for
one minute).
6.
Mop up the body
fluid spill and disinfectant with paper towels and place in plastic trash can
liner bag; tie the end of the bag shut and place in the regular trash
container. Note: If spill was visibly contaminated with blood,
or if it
is difficult or impossible to differentiate between body fluids, use an
impermeable plastic bag that is clearly identifiable as containing a biohazard
(orange, orange-red or labeled with the biohazard legend); tie the filled bag
shut, and place beside, but not in, the regular trash can.
7.
Clean up any
remaining stain using a regular detergent cleaner.
8.
If the spill
involves broken glassware, the glassware should not be picked up directly with
the hands. Instead, use mechanical
means, such as a brush and dust pan, tongs or forceps to pick up the broken
glass.
9.
Any cleaning
equipment (e.g., dust pans or buckets) which is used in body fluid clean up
should be thoroughly rinsed in the disinfectant solution. If a mop is used, it should be soaked in the
disinfectant after use and then rinsed thoroughly. Contaminated disinfectant solution should be
disposed of through the sanitary sewer drain.
10.
Gloves should be
disposed of in the regular trash container, unless visibly contaminated with
blood, in which case they should be placed in the biohazard bag (refer to item
#6, above) just prior to tying the bag shut.
11.
Glove
removal: Grasp the top or wrist of one
glove, being careful not to touch anything but the glove. Pull the glove off, turning it inside out. Continue to hold the glove and insert a
finger into the top of the other glove, taking care not to touch its outside
surface. Pull the glove off, turning it
inside out and pulling it over the first glove.
Both gloves should now be inside out, one inside the other, ready for
disposal into an approved waste container.
12.
Wash hands
thoroughly after removing gloves.
CCS Employees Assessed to Have Occupational Exposure to
Bloodborne Pathogens
At CCS, employees in these job classifications are
assumed to be at risk for occupational exposure due to routine contact with
blood and body fluids. These employees
are provided with specific training as well as the opportunity to receive
pre-exposure hepatitis B vaccination:
1.
athletic
department employees routinely involved in administration of first aid
2.
faculty in fire
science and emergency medical technician programs
3.
faculty and staff
who work directly with children and/or peoples of disability
and/or the developmentally disabled (exclusive of individuals with
speech only disabilities) in provision of care, etc.
4.
faculty and staff
providing health services (e.g., health science programs such as dental assisting, industrial first aid, invasive or
noninvasive cardiovascular, nursing, etc.)
Some employees in the Buildings and Grounds department
as well as staff working with infants and toddlers have been identified as
having occupational exposure when performing specific tasks and procedures and
are also provided with specific training and the opportunity for pre-exposure
hepatitis B vaccination. For other CCS employees not previously identified as
having occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens, evaluation of the
potential for exposure will be made on a case-by-case basis, according to the
employee's specific job circumstances.
For further information, contact the Environmental Health and Safety Office,
475-7041.
Matters of Confidentiality/Discrimination:
Any person who knows of another person's HIV or HBV status may not share that information with anyone without the permission of that person. Violation of confidentiality is a misdemeanor and may place a person at risk of civil suit if such breach of confidentiality results in harm to the person who is HIV or HBV positive. Employers may not discriminate against a person with HIV or HBV infection in employment, recruitment, transfers, rate of pay, hiring, layoffs, terminations, leave of absence (sick leave, or other leave or fringe benefits), or job assignment. Students who have HIV or HBV infection may not be discriminated against in placement, evaluation, access to school equipment, course of study or activities.