Environmental Health & Safety
Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan —
for Healthcare and Research Workers
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY
BLOODBORNE PATHOGEN EXPOSURE CONTROL PLAN
FOR RESEARCH AND HEALTHCARE
F. METHODS OF COMPLIANCE
The following methods shall be instituted as means of infection control.
1. Universal Precautions shall be utilized to prevent contact with blood and other potentially infectious materials. Universal precautions require that under circumstances in which differentiation between body fluid types is difficult or impossible, all body fluids shall be considered potentially infectious materials.
2. Engineering and Work Practice Controls shall be used to eliminate or minimize employee occupational exposure and examined and revised on an annual basis to ensure their effectiveness. All procedures involving blood or OPIM shall be performed in a manner as to minimize splashing, spraying and aerosolization. These controls shall include:
a. Needleless systems shall be used. If needleless systems are not used, needles with engineered sharps injury protection shall be used. If sharps other than needle devices are used, these items shall include engineered sharp injury protection. This is for work with human or non-human primate work only, and not for all animal work.
b. Needles and other sharps shall not be recapped, sheared, bent, broken or resheathed by hand. Used needles shall not be removed from disposable syringes. Disposable sharps shall not be reused. The entire unit shall be placed in a rigid, puncture-proof, leak resistant and properly labeled container such as a sharps container.
c. Broken glassware that may be contaminated shall not be picked up directly with the hands. It shall be cleaned up using a brush, dustpan, tongs or forceps.
d. Sharps containers shall not be opened, emptied or cleaned manually which would expose employees to the risk of sharps injury.
e. Mouth pipetting/suctioning is prohibited.
f. Eating, drinking, applying cosmetics or lip balm and handling contact lenses are prohibited in areas where there is a potential for occupational exposure.
g. Food or drink shall not be stored in refrigerators, freezers or cabinets where blood or other potentially infectious materials are stored or other areas of possible contamination.
h. Sharps container shall be closed immediately prior to removal or replacement to prevent spillage or protrusion of contents during handling, storage, transport or shipping and placed in a secondary container if leakage is possible. The secondary container shall be closable, leakproof and properly labeled. Regulated waste not consisting of sharps shall be disposed of in red bags, which are closable, leakproof and properly labeled.
i. Specimens of blood or other potentially infectious materials shall be placed in a closable, leakproof container labeled or color-coded such as a red bag prior to storage, transportation or collection by disposal contractor. If outside contamination of the primary container is possible, a secondary container, also properly marked, shall be used. If a puncture of the primary container is likely, then it shall be placed within a leakproof, puncture resistant container.
Reusable items contaminated with blood or OPIM shall be decontaminated prior to washing and/or reprocessing.
j. Good Housekeeping shall be applied so that the work area is maintained in a clean and sanitary condition. A written schedule shall be implemented for cleaning and the proper method of disinfection or decontamination based upon location within the facility, type of surface, type of soil present and tasks or procedures being performed. All equipment and environmental working surfaces shall be properly cleaned and disinfected after contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials. Surfaces shall be cleaned after completion of procedures, when surfaces are overtly contaminated, immediately after any spill of blood or other infectious materials and at the conclusion of the work shift.
Equipment that becomes contaminated with blood or other potentially infectious materials shall be decontaminated prior to servicing.
k. All bins, pails, cans and similar receptacles intended for reuse which have a potential for becoming contaminated with blood or other potentially infectious materials shall be inspected, cleaned and disinfected on a regularly scheduled basis and cleaned and disinfected immediately or as soon as possible after visible contamination.
l. Protective coverings such as imperviously backed absorbent paper, plastic wrap or aluminum foil may be used to cover equipment and surfaces. These coverings shall be changed at the conclusion of the work shift or when they become contaminated.
m. Employees shall wash their hands immediately or as soon as possible after the removal of gloves or other PPE and after hand contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials.
n. Contaminated laundry shall be handled as little as possible with a minimum of agitation and placed in properly labeled bags. Employees who have contact with contaminated laundry wear protective gloves and other protective clothing.
This facility identifies the need for changes in engineering controls and work practices through review of OSHA records, employee interviews, committee activities, etc.
We evaluate new procedures and new products regularly by literature review, supplier information and product consideration.
Both front-line workers and management officials are involved in this process in the following manner: Safety Meetings, and Tailgate Trainings.
Environmental Health & Safety is responsible for ensuring that these recommendations are implemented.
3. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) shall be provided by the university whenever there is potential for occupational exposure. Supervisors/principal investigators/professors shall assure that employees under their direction use appropriate PPE including, but not limited to: gloves, gowns (or laboratory coats), fluid-proof aprons, head and foot coverings, face shields or masks and eye protection.
PPE shall be easily accessible and issued at not cost to the employee in the appropriate sizes. Hypoallergenic gloves, glove liners and powderless gloves shall be accessible to employees who are allergic to the gloves normally provided. PPE shall be removed immediately upon leaving the work area or as soon as possible if overtly contaminated and placed in the properly labeled receptacle for storage, washing, decontamination or disposal.
Training in the use of appropriate PPE for specific tasks or procedures is provided by the Environmental Health & Safety Department.
Procedures for handling used PPE are provided at the training.
PPE shall be removed immediately upon leaving the work area or as soon as possible if overtly contaminated and placed in the properly labeled receptacle for storage, washing, decontamination or disposal.
a. Gloves shall be worn when the employee has the potential for the hands to have direct contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials, and when handling items or surfaces soiled with blood or other potentially infectious materials. Disposable (single use) gloves shall be replaced as soon as possible when visibly soiled, torn or punctured or whenever their ability to function as a barrier is compromised. They shall not be washed or disinfected for re-use or worn outside the containment area.
b. Face shields, eye protection, respirators and masks shall be worn whenever splashes, spray, spatter, droplets or aerosols of blood or other potentially infectious materials may be generated and there is potential for eye, nose or mouth contamination.
c. Gowns, aprons or laboratory coats or other forms of appropriate protective clothing shall be worn when there is the potential for occupational exposure. The clothing shall form an effective barrier against blood or other potentially infectious materials. Selection shall be based upon the task and potential for exposure. Additional PPE such as head and foot protection and fluid-proof clothing shall be worn as needed.
4. Housekeeping. Regulated waste is placed in containers which are closable, constructed to contain all contents and prevent leakage, appropriately labeled or color-coded (see the following section “Labels”), and closed prior to removal to prevent spillage or protrusion of contents during handling.
Contaminated sharps are discarded immediately or as soon as possible in containers that are closable, puncture-resistant, leak proof on sides and bottoms, and appropriately labeled or color-coded.
Bins and pails (e.g., wash or emesis basins) are cleaned and decontaminated as soon as feasible after visible contamination.
Broken glassware that may be contaminated is only picked up using mechanical means, such as a brush and dustpan.
5. Laundry
The following laundering requirements must be met:
- Handle contaminated laundry as little as possible, with minimal agitation.
- Place wet contaminated laundry in leak-proof, labeled or color-coded containers before transport. Use red bags for this purpose.
- Wear the following PPE when handling and/or sorting contaminated laundry: gloves, N95 mask.
This page last updated September 25, 2008
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