Duraclean Journal of Marketing, Management and Technical Topics

Preventing Bloodborne Pathogen Exposures

The following article is a condensation from the "Safety News Alert" newsletter from BLR (http://www.blr.com). It provides information on how to prevent bloodborne pathogen exposure.






Although workplace exposures to bloodborne pathogens are less common outside the healthcare field, almost any worker has the potential to be exposed under the certain circumstances—for example, when providing first aid. Make sure your workers know how to prevent such exposures.

The best way to prevent exposure to bloodborne pathogens is to practice “universal precautions.” This means that employees should always treat blood and body fluids as if these materials are infectious, even if they don't think the materials really are infectious.
In addition, instruct your workers to:

• Wash their hands and any exposed skin thoroughly with soap and water immediately following contact with potentially infectious materials.
• If blood gets in their eyes, nose, or mouth, flush thoroughly with water.
• Be careful when cleaning up accident sites where blood has been shed (wear gloves, use disinfectant cleanser to wash down surfaces, and wash hands carefully afterwards).
  

Instruct workers not to:

• Be careless about treating a co-worker's bleeding injury, or when giving rescue breathing.
• Eat, drink, smoke, apply cosmetics, or handle contact lenses in work areas that could be contaminated or when their hand could be contaminated.
• Keep food or beverages in refrigerators, cabinets, or work areas where they could be exposed to potentially infectious materials.
• Touch, with their bare hands objects that could be contaminated with bloodborne pathogens, such as blood-covered surfaces or tools.

Bloodborne Pathogens and Workplace First Aid
Some medical emergencies involve blood, and employees have no way of knowing whether the victim is infected with HIV or hepatitis. Some victims may not know themselves. It's estimated that 25 percent of Americans with HIV and most people with hepatitis C are not yet diagnosed.

When giving first aid, employees should:

• Cover open cuts, scrapes, skin rashes, and broken skin.
• Cover their nose, mouth, and eyes (mask and safety glasses).
• Wear disposable gloves from the first-aid kit.
• Use a pocket mouth-to-mouth breathing device for rescue breathing.
• Wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water after removing gloves.

Labels: Bloodborne Pathogens, Bloodnborne Pathogens, Safety Management