Reducing the Risk!

1. Bloodborne Pathogens Reducing the Risk!

2. Why This Presentation is Important to You… • As part of your job, you have the opportunity to come into contact with people…every day! • Depending on the nature of that contact, it’s possible that from time to time you could be exposed to a disease • In most cases, that will mean nothing more than the flu or common cold • In other situations, however, it could mean exposure to dangerous bloodborne pathogens like: • HIV • Hepatitis B (HBV) • Hepatitis C (HCV)

3. The Goal At Prime Income, our goal is to help you work safely - avoiding exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens (BBPs) To help us achieve that goal, we have: • Identified where you might be exposed to BBPs at work • Pinpointed behaviors that increase your risk of exposure • Established some safe work practices to reduce that risk • Assembled this presentation for your benefit

4. What are Bloodborne Pathogens? • BBPs are disease-causing agents (mainly viruses) found in human blood or in other potentially infectious materials (OPIM), such as certain bodily fluids. • BBPs are widespread in today’s population • Approximately 1 million in the U.S. are infected with HIV(the virus that causes AIDS) • Approximately 1 million in the U.S. are carriers of Hepatitis B (HBV) • Up to 2.5 million people in the U.S. are infected with Hepatitis C (HCV) • Tens of thousands of new infections occur each year

5. How Does Infection Occur? • Infection occurs through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluid of an infected person • This may include: • Sharing of hypodermic needles • Intimate sexual relations • Contact during medical assistance • BBP infection does not occur from • Being near an infected person • Sharing eating or drinking utensils • Touching objects that they have touched • Animal waste

6. Potential for Workplace Exposure Transmission can also occur after accidental contact with blood or bodily fluid at work In an apartment/hotel/commercial setting, this might include contact with: • Blood from an injured resident, visitor, or co-worker • Blood on equipment (dishwasher, garbage disposal, etc.) after an accident • Contaminated materials in the garbage • Bodily fluids encountered during janitorial/housekeeping duties in various areas

7. Touching blood or bodily fluids with unprotected skin • Providing First Aid without taking precautions • Cleaning potentially infected equipment or areas without the proper protective equipment • Not paying attention to the placement of your hands or other body parts • Handling hypodermic needles or other ‘sharps’ (broken glass, sharp metal, etc.) that are (or may be) contaminated with blood Hint: These things should be avoided Risky Behavior There are certain things that can increase your risk of exposure to BBPs. These include:

8. Safe Work Practices On the other hand, there are certain actions you can take to decrease your risk of exposure to BBPs, such as: • Putting on medical gloves before assisting with First Aid • Always wearing protective equipment (gloves, safety glasses, etc.) when cleaning equipment or fixtures contaminated with blood or bodily fluids • Never placing your hands inside a trash bag or container • Never holding a trash bag against your body • Never pick up hypodermic needles, except with a tool (shovel, tongs, forceps, etc.) • Report ALL instances of personal exposure to blood or bodily fluids to management immediately • Treat ALL blood and bodily fluids as if they were infected(also known as taking “Universal Precautions”)

9. Universal Precautions Because it is impossible to tell whether or not blood or bodily fluids are infected simply by looking, Universal Precautions is a conservative approach that treats ALL human blood and certain human body fluids as if they were infected with HIV, HBV, and other bloodborne pathogens.

10. Expectations Remember that, as part of your job, you are NOT expected or required to: • Render First Aid • Handle or touch human blood or bodily fluids spills

11. Responding to an Exposure If you: • Wash the injured area immediately • Use hot water and soap • Scrub vigorously for 5 minutes • Apply alcohol or other disinfecting agent • Report the incident to your Supervisor right away • Obtain professional medical attention • Come into contact with blood or bodily fluids OR • Receive a needle stick OR • Are cut by a potentially contaminated sharp

12. Thank you for your cooperation!