16 May Bloodborne Pathogens

Bloodborne Pathogens

Bloodborne pathogens (BBP) are microorganisms present in human blood that can cause disease. Employees may be exposed when blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) contact broken skin, the eyes, nose or mouth, or enter the body through a needlestick or other sharp object.

Important bloodborne pathogens include Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Who May Be at Risk?

Healthcare, emergency response, laboratory, housekeeping, and public safety employees may have occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens. However, employees in other industries can also be exposed while providing first aid, cleaning up blood, handling contaminated materials, or responding to an injury.

Employees should know whether their job duties may reasonably expose them to blood or OPIM and follow the company’s Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan when applicable.

How Exposure Occurs

Bloodborne pathogens can enter the body through:

• Needlesticks or cuts from contaminated sharps.
• Cuts, abrasions, dermatitis, or other broken skin.
• Splashes of blood or OPIM into the eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Other direct contact that allows potentially infectious material to enter the body.

Blood contacting intact skin generally is not considered an occupational exposure incident, but the contaminated area should still be washed promptly.

Standard Precautions and Exposure Prevention

Treat blood and other potentially infectious materials as though they may contain infectious bloodborne pathogens.

Protect yourself by following these practices:

• Wear appropriate PPE whenever exposure is reasonably anticipated.
• Use disposable gloves when contact with blood or OPIM is possible.
• Wear eye and face protection when splashing or spraying may occur.
• Cover cuts, abrasions, and other broken skin before beginning work.
• Inspect PPE before use and replace damaged or contaminated equipment.
• Wash hands immediately after removing gloves and following potential exposure.
• Never eat, drink, smoke, apply cosmetics, or handle contact lenses in areas where occupational exposure may occur.
• Never pick up potentially contaminated broken glass with your bare hands.

Engineering and work-practice controls should always be used to minimize exposure whenever possible.

Sharps Safety

Needles and other contaminated sharps require special handling.

• Never bend, break, or remove contaminated needles unless a specific procedure requires it and appropriate controls are used.
• Do not recap contaminated needles unless no feasible alternative exists or the procedure specifically requires it.
• Immediately place contaminated sharps into an approved closable, puncture-resistant, leak-resistant, and properly labeled or color-coded sharps container.
• Never reach into a sharps container.

Cleaning Blood and Body Fluids

Employees assigned to clean blood or OPIM should wear appropriate PPE and use approved disinfectants and established cleanup procedures.

Contaminated materials must be handled and disposed of in appropriate labeled or color-coded containers. Never compress contaminated waste with your hands or attempt to retrieve objects from a contaminated waste container.

If an Exposure Occurs

If blood or OPIM contacts your eyes, mouth, broken skin, or enters your body through a needlestick or other sharp:

1. Wash needlesticks, cuts, and exposed skin immediately with soap and water.
2. Flush the eyes, nose, or mouth with water as appropriate.
3. Report the exposure to your supervisor immediately.
4. Document how and when the exposure occurred.
5. Obtain the required confidential medical evaluation and follow-up as soon as possible.

Prompt reporting is important because some post-exposure treatments are most effective when started quickly.

Hepatitis B Vaccination

Employees with occupational exposure to blood or OPIM must be offered the Hepatitis B vaccination series at no cost, in accordance with applicable OSHA requirements. Employees who initially decline vaccination may later request it if they remain occupationally exposed.

Bloodborne Pathogens Program

Employers with employees who have occupational exposure must maintain a written Exposure Control Plan addressing exposure determination, engineering and work-practice controls, PPE, housekeeping, Hepatitis B vaccination, post-exposure evaluation and follow-up, training, and recordkeeping.

Employees covered by the program must receive appropriate bloodborne pathogens training initially and at least annually thereafter.

Remember

Never assume blood is safe. Avoid direct contact, use appropriate PPE and work-practice controls, dispose of sharps properly, wash immediately after potential contact, and report exposure incidents without delay.