Inservice
Read the following
information. When you have finished, take the quiz. Have fun!
This course is a
yearly requirement as part of the Blood Borne Pathogens Standard from
OSHA.
Course
Objectives
- Identify the
location of the Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan in each
department and express understanding of its contents.
- Explain the epidemiology
and symptoms of bloodborne diseases
- Explain the transmission
of bloodborne pathogens
- Describe methods
to prevent or reduce exposure to bloodborne pathogens.
- Identify tasks
that may involve exposure to blood or other potentially infectious
materials
- Describe the
proper use of personal protective equipment.
- Explain the signs
and labels required.
- Express understanding
of the Hepatitis B vaccine including its efficacy, safety, method
of administration, benefits and cost.
- Identify appropriate
actions to take and persons to contact in an emergency involving blood
or potentially infectious materials
- Describe the
procedure to follow if an exposure incident occurs
- Describe the
post-exposure evaluation and follow-up that the employer is required
to provide for the employee following exposure.
Identify
the location of the Blood Borne Pathogen Standard and express understanding
of its contents.
Each area
that is "at risk" for exposure has a copy of the Bloodborne
Pathogens Exposure Control Plan. Employees of Oakton Community College
are expected to know where the Plan is kept in their department. The
purpose of the Plan is to reduce occupational exposure to Hepatitis
B Virus, HIV and other bloodborne pathogens that employees may encounter
in their workplace as well as guide the employee in the case of a post
exposure incident.
The
Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan contains information on:
- The purpose
of the Plan
- Occupational
exposure to bloodborne pathogen standard
- Job classifications
for "at risk" employees
- Situations
involving interdependent contractor contracts
- Universal
precautions
- Engineering
and work practice controls
- Personal
protective equipment (PPE)
- The training
program
- Hepatitis
B vaccine declination
- Issues
specific to the Facilities department
- Issues
specific to the Athletic department
- Issues
specific to the Public Safety department
- Issues
specific to the Early Child Education department
- Issues
specific to the Health Services department
Epidemiology,
symptoms, transmission of bloodborne diseases
Blood-borne
pathogens (BBP) are pathogenic micro-organisms that are present in human
"blood" and "other potentially infectious material."
These pathogens
include hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV),
syphilis, malaria and many others.
These diseases
do NOT always have symptoms associated with the illness. Exposure to
bloodborne pathogens occurs when specific eye, mouth (or other mucous
membranes), or non-intact skin comes in contact with blood (or other
potentially infectious materials) resulting from the performance of
an employee's duties. Detailed information on the definition of exposures
can be found in Oakton Community College's Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure
Control Plan in Appendix A.
For further information: Check the following Web sites:
• Hepatitis B - www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/b/fact.htm
• Hepatitis C -
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/c/fact.htm
• HIV/AIDS - www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/facts.htm
Methods
to prevent or reduce exposure to bloodborne pathogens, tasks that may
involve exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials,
proper use of personal protective equipment
- Occupational
Exposure - reasonable anticipated skin, eye, mucous membrane,
or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials
that may result from the performance of an employee’s duties.
(as provided in 29 CFR 1910.1030)
- "Blood"
means
human blood, human blood components and products made from human blood.
"Other
Potentially Infectious Materials" means
- Human
body fluids: semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial
fluid, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic
fluid, saliva in dental procedures, any other body fluid that is visibly
contaminated with blood and all undifferentiated body fluids in emergency
response situations.
- Any unfixed
tissue or organ (other than intact skin) from a human.
- HIV-containing
cell or tissue cultures, organ cultures and HIV- or HBV-containing
culture medium or other solutions; and blood, organs or other tissues
from experimental animals infected with HIV or HBV.
"Universal
Precautions" is an approach to infection control. According to
the concept of Universal Precautions, all human blood and certain human
body fluids/tissues/cell lines are treated as if known to be infectious
for HIV, HBV and other bloodborne pathogens.
For more
information, refer to:
www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/
owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10051 produced
by U.S. Department of Labor OSHA 1992.
Prevention
of exposure is achieved through the following
- Engineering
Controls - The term "Engineering Controls" refers to
controls (e.g., sharps disposal containers, needle-less systems and
self-sheathing needles) that isolate or remove the hazard of blood-borne
pathogens from the workplace and, therefore, reduce the potential
for employee exposure. . Other devices include biosafety cabinets
and unidirectional air flow from areas of lower to areas of higher
hazards.
- Work
Practice Controls
- Work practice controls include frequent hand washing; proper handling
and disposal of contaminated needles; no eating, drinking, smoking,
application of cosmetics or contact lenses in the lab; and no mouth
pipetting. Food and drink must neither be stored in the same refrigerator,
nor on the same shelves, countertops or bench tops where BBP's are
placed. Containers used for storage, transport or shipping of blood-borne
pathogens must be labeled properly. Contaminated needles and other
contaminated sharps will not be bent, recapped or removed from syringes
unless there is no feasible alternative. Any recapping or needle removal
must be done using a mechanical device or a one-handed technique.
Sharps must be deposited in containers which are puncture resistant,
leak proof and labeled or color coded. Hand washing facilities are
accessible to areas of risk. Employees must wash their hands immediately
or as soon as feasible after removing their gloves or other personal
protective equipment (PPE).
- Personal
Protective Equipment -
In addition to engineering controls, personal protective equipment
must also be used. This includes gloves, lab coats, gowns, eye protection
or face shields and masks, mouthpieces, resuscitation bags and pocket
masks as appropriate. Hypoallergenic gloves will be provided for any
employee that needs them. Single use gloves are to be replaced whenever
they become contaminated, punctured, or torn and are not to be cleaned
or reused. The following additional precautions will be observed
- If
a garment is penetrated by blood or other potentially infectious
materials, the garments will be removed immediately or as soon
as feasible.
- All
PPE will be removed before leaving the work area.
- When
PPE is removed, it will be placed in a designated area or container
for storage, washing, decontamination or disposal.
- Gloves
should be worn when it can be reasonable anticipated that there
will be hand contact with blood, other potentially infectious
material, mucous membranes, and non-intact skin or when handling
or touching contaminated items or surfaces.
- Masks
in combination with eye protection devices, such as goggles or
glasses with solid side shields, or chin length face shields,
shall be worn whenever splashes, spray, spatter, or droplets of
blood or other potentially infectious materials may be generated
and eye, nose, or mouth contamination can be reasonable anticipated.
- Gowns,
aprons, lab coats, clinic jackets or similar protective outer
garments should be worn depending on the task and degree of exposure
anticipated
- Labels
and Signs Fluorescent orange-red labels displaying the international
biohazard symbol and the legend "biohazard" in contrasting
colors are attached to containers of biohazardous materials. Labeled
red bags or labeled red containers are used for biohazardous waste
and sharp containers. Fluorescent orange-red signs with lettering
and symbols in contrasting colors are posted at entrances to work
areas. Such signs specify name of infectious agent, special requirements
for entering, name and telephone number of PI or other responsible
person(s).
Hepatitis
B vaccine including its efficacy, safety, method of administration,
benefits and cost
The institution
(Oakton Community College) must make the Hepatitis B vaccination, the
blood test for immunity, and future booster vaccinations available to
those employees who have the potential for occupational exposure. This
must be available to the employee after participating in training on
blood borne pathogens. Employees may decline to receive the vaccination.
Those who decline must sign a declination form. Should an employee (still
covered under the Standard) who had previously declined decide at a
later date to receive the vaccination, it must be made available to
him or her at no cost.
For further
information on the Hepatitis B vaccine: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/b/factvax.htm
For information
on obtaining the Hepatitis B vaccine at no cost to Oakton Community
College employees, please go to Health Services on the De Plaines or
Ray Hartstein campus. Employees may request the Hepatitis Vaccine at
any time during their employment.
Post
Exposure Management
Post-exposure
evaluation and follow up must be provided to those employees who have
had an exposure incident. This must be done at no cost to the employees
and at a reasonable time and place. A confidential medical evaluation
will include:
- Documentation
of the circumstances under which the incident occurred. A report created
by the employee's supervisor (Supervisor's Report) must be submitted
to Health Services.
- When feasible
and within the provisions of Illinois Law, the individual from whom
the potentially infectious material originated should be identified
and the identity should be documented.
- When possible
and as soon as feasible, the source’s blood will be tested to
determine HIV and HBV serostatus, subject to the provisions of Illinois
law and OSHA/IDOL regulations. Test results will be made available
to the exposed employee.
Following
an exposure incident
- Report
incident to Public Safety and Health Services for first aid and a
referral for emergency care.
- The exposed
employee’s blood will be tested if the employee agrees. If the
employee consents to collection of blood for baseline serologic testing
but refuses to consent for HIV testing, the HIV testing sample will
be drawn and preserved for at least 90 days. During that time the
employee may elect to have the preserved sample tested for HIV; otherwise,
the preserved sample will be disposed, after verification that the
employee still refuses to consent to HIV testing. Test results are
given only to the employee.
- All documentation
on incidents of exposure and post-exposure evaluation and follow-up
will be retained in the College’s Health Services Department.
For specific information on Oakton Community College's departmental
procedures on the Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan, see Appendix
I - J in Oakton Community College's Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control
Plan found in each of the "at risk" employee's departments.
For more
general information on Post Exposure Management
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