UNIVERSAL/STANDARD PRECAUTIONS BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS

1. UNIVERSAL/STANDARD PRECAUTIONSBLOODBORNE PATHOGENS Michigan Department of Community Health Bureau of Laboratories

2. What is Universal Precautions? • OSHA’s required method of control to protect employees from exposure to all human blood and other potentially infectious materials.

3. Observing “Universal Precautions” means you consider all human blood and certain human fluids infectious for all bloodborne pathogens.

4. Universal Precautions (continued) • Perform all tasks using safe work practices • Use appropriate personal protective equipment. • Use engineering controls

5. Most Common Route of Exposure • Sharps • Lancets • Broken Glass • Needles

6. The bloodborne pathogens that pose the most serious health risks • Hepatitis B virus (HBV) • Hepatitis C virus (HCV) • Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

7. Bloodborne Pathogens (continued) • Hepatitis B vaccination is recommended for all health care workers • No FDA approved vaccine exists to prevent HCV or HIV infection

8. Who is at risk for sharps injury? • Workers performing fingersticks • Lab workers • Housekeepers/janitorial staff • Medical waste contractor

9. Work practices that increase the risk of a sharps injury • Recapping needles • Transferring a body fluid between containers • Opening blood tubes • Failing to dispose of used sharps properly in a puncture-proof sharps container

10. How can you I protect myself from occupational exposure to blood and sharps injuries? • Assume all blood and body fluids to be infectious • Always use safe work practices, required PPE, and safety devices • Do not eat, drink or apply cosmetics in the work area • Avoid the use of needles and lancets if safe and effective alternatives are available

11. Protect Yourself (continued) • Help your employer select and evaluate devices with safety features that reduce the risk of sharps injuries • Use devices with safety features provided by your employer • Plan for safe handling and disposal of any sharps and other infectious waste before using them

12. Protect Yourself (continued) • Promptly dispose of used sharps in appropriate sharps disposal containers • Report all occupational exposures promptly to ensure that you receive appropriate follow-up care • Tell your employer about real or potential hazards you observe • Participate in training related to infection prevention • Get a Hepatitis B vaccination

13. Safe Work Habits for HIV Testing Providers • Use disposal gloves and change gloves after contact with each client • Wash hands and other skin surfaces immediately and thoroughly if contaminated with blood • Place contaminated sharps after use in a sharps container

14. Safe Work Habits (continued) • Place all contaminated waste in an appropriately labeled container and transport in a leak proof, puncture-proof outer container • Disinfect all work surfaces and items before and after testing with 10% bleach solution or EPA approved disinfect

15. Handling Occupational Exposures • Employee should immediately report the expose to a supervisor • Immediately wash skin with soap and water • Apply first aid to the wound

16. Occupational Exposure (continued) • Use Occupational Health Service for immediate treatment and counseling (Employee may decline treatment but must sign a wavier) • Collect a baseline serum • Source blood tested for HIV/HBV/HCV

17. Occupational Exposure (continued) • Written Investigation of exposure • Record on sharps injury log and MIOSHA form 300

18. Record Keeping Requirements • Written Exposure Control Plan for Bloodborne Pathogens • Review Safe Needle Devices Annually • Sharps injury Log • MIOSHA Form 300 • MIOSHA Form 300A

19. References • Bloodborne infectious Diseases, MIOSHA, Part 553, R 325.70001-R 325.70018 www.michigan.gov/mioshastandards • www.michigan.gov/mdchlab • Clinical Laboratory Safety; Approved Guidelines –Second Edition, CLSI, GP17-A2