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Blood Borne PathogensOne of the major goals of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is to promote safe work practices in an effort to minimize the incidence of illness and injury experienced by employees. Relative to this goal, OSHA enacted the Occupational Exposure To Bloodborne
Pathogens Standard, codified as 29 CFR §1910.1030. The purpose of the Bloodborne Pathogen Standard is to "reduce occupational exposure to Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and other bloodborne pathogens" that employees may encounter in their workplace. Youngstown State University (YSU) realizes that occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials can occur to its employees. Therefore, in order to protect the health and welfare of its
employees, the University has established certain precautions and safeguards for all employees who may come into contact with blood or blood products. Under this rule other potentially infectious materials as defined on page 5 of this document will also be subject to this standard. YSU believes that there are a number of "good general principles" that should be followed when working with bloodborne pathogens. These include: It is prudent to minimize all exposure to bloodborne
pathogens. Risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens should never be underestimated. YSU should institute as many work practices and engineering controls as possible to eliminate or minimize employee exposure to bloodborne pathogens. YSU has implemented this Exposure Control Plan to meet the letter and intent of the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standard. The objective of this plan is: To protect employees from the health hazards associated with bloodborne pathogens. To
provide appropriate treatment and counseling should an employee be exposed to bloodborne pathogens. 29 CFR 1910.1030 In order to better understand the function of the Bloodborne Standard, it is important that employees have a clear understanding of the definitions used by OSHA. The following is a list of the most important definitions: The "Exposure Control Officer" will be responsible for the overall management of YSU's Bloodborne Pathogens Compliance Program. Activities which are delegated to the Exposure Control Officer will include the following:
The Director of Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (EOHS) will act as YSU's Exposure Control Officer. Department chairpersons, department directors, immediate supervisors, and faculty are responsible for exposure control in their respective areas. They work directly with the Exposure Control Officer and employees to ensure that the proper exposure control procedures are followed. Although students are not covered by the Exposure Control Plan, it will be the responsibility of individual faculty to inform students of any hazards associated with the use of blood, blood products or any other infectious materials that may be used in the teaching environment.YSU's Education/Training Coordinator will be responsible for providing information and training to all employees who have the potential for exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Individual faculty are responsible for training students who may have a potential for bloodborne exposure. Activities falling under the direction of the Education/Training Coordinator include:
Exposure Control PlanThe Exposure Control Plan is available to employees at all times. Employees are advised of the location of the plans during their education/training sessions. Copies of the Exposure Control Plan are available in the following locations:
Individual departments that are covered by the University's Bloodborne Pathogen Standard:
We recognize that it is important to keep our Exposure Control Plan up-to-date. To ensure this, the plan will be reviewed and updated by the Exposure Control Officer under the following circumstances:
The key to implementing a successful Exposure Control Plan is to identify exposure situations employees may encounter. To facilitate this, we have prepared the following lists:
Tasks and procedures in which occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens occurs (these tasks and procedures are performed by employees in the job classifications shown on the two previous lists). The initial lists were compiled on June 28, 1994. The Exposure Control Officer will work with department heads to revise and update these lists as tasks, procedures, and classifications change. Job Title ClassificationsBelow are listed the job classifications in our facility where all employees in these job classifications may come into contact with human blood or other potentially infectious materials, which may result in possible exposure to bloodborne pathogens:
Below are listed the job classifications where some employees with these job classifications may come into contact with human blood or other potentially infectious materials which may result in possible exposure to bloodborne pathogens:
Job Task ClassificationsBelow are listed the tasks and procedures where employees may come into contact with human blood or other potentially infectious materials which may result in exposure to bloodborne pathogens.
Bloodborne StandardsThere are a number of areas that must be addressed in order to effectively eliminate or minimize exposure to bloodborne pathogens. The following is a list of how YSU intends to comply with the bloodborne standard:
YSU began a program of Universal Precautions on June 30, 1994. As a result, we treat all human blood and other potentially infectious material as if they are known to be infectious for HBV, HIV, or other bloodborne pathogens. In circumstances where it is difficult or impossible to differentiate between body fluid types, we assume all body fluids to be potentially infectious. The Exposure Control Officer is responsible for overseeing our Universal Precautions Program. One of the aspects of the Exposure Control Plan is the use of Engineering Controls to eliminate or minimize employee exposure to bloodborne pathogens. As a result, employees use cleaning, maintenance and other equipment that is designed to prevent contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials. The Exposure Control Officer works with department heads to review tasks and procedures performed where engineering controls can be implemented or updated. Engineering controls are reexamined during the annual Exposure Control Plan review and when additional tasks are added that require the use of engineering controls. Existing engineering control equipment is reviewed for proper function and needed repair or replacement every three months by the appropriate department head where the equipment is located. Engineering ControlsThe following operations have, or should have, Engineering Control Equipment to eliminate or minimize employee exposure to bloodborne pathogens.
Work Practice ControlsIn addition to engineering controls, a number of Work Practice Controls to help eliminate or minimize employee exposure to bloodborne pathogens have been implemented. The Exposure Control Officer is responsible for overseeing the implementation of Work Practice Controls. The Exposure Control Officer works closely with the department directors to assure proper and effective implementation. The following Work Practice Controls have been adopted as part of the Bloodborne Pathogen Compliance Program:
Personal protective equipment is the "last line of defense" against bloodborne pathogens. YSU provides (at no cost to the employee) the Personal Protective Equipment necessary to protect employees against any exposures. This equipment includes, but is not limited to the following: Gloves, Safety Glasses, Goggles, Face shields/masks, Bloodborne Pathogen Kits. Exposure Control Officer working with department heads is responsible for ensuring that all departments and work areas have appropriate personal protective equipment available to employees. Employees are trained regarding the use of the appropriate personal protective equipment for their job classifications and tasks/procedures they perform. Initial training about personal protective equipment was completed on January 10,1995. Additional training is provided, when necessary, if an employee takes a new position or new job functions are added to their current position. Any needed training is provided by their department supervisor in conjunction with the Training Coordinator. To ensure that personal protective equipment is not contaminated and is in the appropriate condition to protect employees from potential exposure, YSU adheres to the following practices:
To assure that the personal protective equipment is used as effectively as possible, employees adhere to the following practices:
Maintaining our facility in a clean and sanitary manner is an important part of the Bloodborne Pathogen Compliance Program. Cleaning and decontamination of appropriate areas will be conducted by the person who has been using or processing the potentially infectious body fluid. All equipment and surfaces are cleaned and decontaminated:
All biohazard containers intended for the disposal of infectious materials are inspected, cleaned and decontaminated as soon as possible if visibly contaminated. Potentially contaminated broken glassware or sharps are picked up using mechanical means such as a dustpan and brush, tongs, forceps, etc. Our facility is very careful in the handling of regulated waste and other potentially infectious materials. Starting on or before May 1, 1990 the following procedures are used with all of these types of waste: Potentially infectious materials are "bagged" in containers that are:
Containers for infectious waste are placed in appropriate locations within laboratories or medical facilities that are easily accessible to employees and are as close as possible to the source of waste. Waste containers are maintained upright, are replaced when necessary and are not allowed to overflow. Contaminated laundry is handled as little as possible and is not sorted or rinsed where it is used. Contaminated laundry is placed immediately in the appropriate biohazard container. Wet contaminated laundry will be placed in containers which are leakproof to prevent any leakage of fluids to the exterior. Laundry which is contaminated will be decontaminated. Whenever containers of regulated waste are moved from one area to the disposal area the containers are immediately closed and placed inside an appropriate secondary container if leakage is possible from the first container. Protective clothing, such as disposable coats and gloves are worn whenever potential exposure to the body is anticipated. Youngstown State University recognizes that even with strict adherence to all exposure prevention practices, exposure incidents can occur. As a result, YSU has implemented a Hepatitis B Vaccination Program, as well as set procedures for post-exposure evaluation and follow-up should exposure to bloodborne pathogens occur. To protect our employees from the possibility of Hepatitis B infection YSU has implemented a vaccination program. This program is available, at no cost, to all employees who may have occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens. The vaccination program consists of a series of three inoculations over a six-month period. As part of their bloodborne pathogen training, employees have received information regarding the Hepatitis vaccination, including its safety and effectiveness. The Exposure Control Officer is responsible for setting up the vaccination program through YSU’s Student Health Service Clinic. Employees can schedule an appointment with the Clinic to receive all three of the inoculations. Vaccinations are performed under the supervision of a licensed physician or other healthcare professional. Employees taking part in the vaccination program are listed on file in the Department of EOHS. Employees who have declined to take part in the program have been informed of their right to receive the vaccination at a later date if they so choose. Those who have refused the vaccination have signed a "Hepatitis B Declination Form". A listing of those that have refused the vaccination can be found on file in the Department of EOHS. If a routine booster of Hepatitis B Vaccine is recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service at a future date, such booster dose will be made available to employees at no cost. To ensure that all employees are aware of our vaccination program memos explaining the program were sent to all departments who have employees that may have an exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Copies of these memos can be found on file in the Department of EOHS. If an employee is involved in an incident where exposure to bloodborne pathogens may have occurred, two things will immediately be focused on:
The Exposure Control Officer, or his designee, investigates every exposure incident. The investigation is initiated within 24 hours of notice of the incident and involves gathering the following information:
After this information is gathered and evaluated, a written summary of the incident and its causes is prepared and recommendations are made for avoiding similar incidents in the future. A copy of the "Incident Investigation Form" is found at the end of this section. In order to assure that employees receive the best and most timely treatment if an exposure to bloodborne pathogens should occur, YSU has set up a comprehensive post-exposure evaluation and follow-up process. The Exposure Control Officer will oversee this process. Much of the information involved in the process must remain confidential, and everything will be done to protect the privacy of the people involved.
Once these procedures have been completed, the employee is advised to arrange for an appointment with a qualified healthcare professional to discuss the employee's medical status. This includes an evaluation of any reported medical illness, as well as any recommended treatment. The cost of this examination will be charged to the University. To assist the healthcare professional, a number of documents are forwarded, including the following:
After consultation, the healthcare professional provides YSU with a written opinion, within fifteen days, evaluating the exposed employee's situation. We, in turn, furnish a copy of this opinion to the exposed employee. In keeping with this process' emphasis on confidentiality, the written opinion will contain only the following information:
All other findings or diagnoses will remain confidential and will not be included in the written report. To assure that as much medical information is available to the participating healthcare professional as possible, YSU maintains comprehensive medical records on our employees who have had an occupational exposure. The Exposure Control Officer is responsible for setting up and maintaining these records, which include the following information:
As with all information in these areas, it is recognized that it is important to keep the information in these medical records confidential. YSU will not disclose or report this information to anyone without the employee's written consent, except as required by law. One of the most obvious warnings of possible exposure to bloodborne pathogens are biohazard labels. Because of this, YSU has implemented a comprehensive biohazard warning labeling program using labels of the type shown on the following page, or when appropriate, using red "color-coded" containers. The Exposure Control Officer is responsible for setting up and maintaining this program. The following items in our facility are labeled with the biohazard symbol:
On labels affixed to contaminated equipment we have also indicated which portions of the equipment are contaminated. YSU recognizes that biohazard signs must be posted at entrances to HIV and HBV research laboratories and production facilities. Since YSU does not have these types of operations in its facility, it is not affected by these special signage requirements. In order to minimize employee exposure to bloodborne pathogens, it is extremely important to have well informed and educated employees. Therefore, all employees who have the potential for exposure to bloodborne pathogens are required to attend a comprehensive training program. This program provides employees with as much information as possible on bloodborne pathogens. All employees received initial training and will be required to attend annual refresher training sessions. Additionally, all new employees, as well as employees changing jobs or job functions, will be given any additional training their new position requires at the time of their new job assignment. The Education/Training Coordinator is responsible for seeing that all employees who have potential exposure to bloodborne pathogens receive training. The following are the topics covered in our training program:
A review of the use and limitations of methods that will prevent or reduce exposure, including:
Visual warning of biohazards including labels, signs and color-coded containers.
Time is allotted at the end of each training session for employees to have an opportunity to ask questions. Employees can also contact the Exposure Control Officer at any time if questions arise. He can be reached by contacting the department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ext. 3700) during regular business hours. After hours, he can be reached by contacting the University Police Department (ext. 3527). To document the training process, the following information is contained in our records.
These training records are available for examination and copying to our employees and their representatives, as well as OSHA and its representatives. Which of the following is a required training topic for occupationally exposed workers Citi?OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard training is required for occupationally exposed employees prior to the initiation of work involving exposure and annually within 365 days of the previous training.
What does each employer that has workers with occupational exposure to human blood or Opim need to have?Employers must offer the Hepatitis B vaccine and vaccination series within 10 working days of initial assignment to employees who have occupational exposure to blood or OPIM.
Which of the following must be included in an exposure control plan?The exposure control plan must contain, at a minimum: The exposure determination which identifies job classifications with occupational exposure and tasks and procedures where there is occupational exposure and that are performed by employees in job classifications in which some employees have occupational exposure.
What are the 5 steps of an exposure control plan?Contact the Office of Risk Management for questions.. Step 1: Required Personal Protective Equipment. ... . Step 2: Equipment. ... . Step 3: Decontamination Procedures. ... . Step 4: Disposal. ... . Step 5: Decontaminate Re-useable Equipment. ... . Step 6: Wash Your Hands.. |