Infection Control

BLOODBORNE PATHOGEN CONTROL

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES: Required and available to all employees

Hepatitis B Vaccine and Vaccination series is provided to all employees of occupational exposure. The vaccination will be administered according to the current recommendations of the U.S. Public Health Service. The employee is required to have Hepatitis B Vaccine and Vaccination series within 10 days of employment and occupational exposure to blood or infectious materials. The employee may be exempt from hepatitis B vaccine and vaccination series if (A) vaccine and vaccination series had already been employed, (B) antibody testing show employee immunity, or (C) employee cannot endure vaccine or vaccination series due to medical reasons. Employee is not required to have prescreening before receiving Hepatitis B vaccination series. The Employee will be provided a booster dose if indicated according to the recommendations of the U.S. Public Health Service.

Employee will be provided with a written opinion of a Health Care Professional indicating the need for the Hepatitis B Vaccination series and vaccine as it applies to the employee.

Medical evaluations, hepatitis B vaccine and vaccination series must be performed by or under the supervision of a licensed health care professional or licensed physician whose scope of practice includes these specific procedures. Only under these conditions will these procedures be at the sole cost of employer. If an employee choose to decline the hepatitis vaccination, that employee must sign a declination form provided by employer. That employee may obtain vaccination at no cost at a later date.

UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS

This preventative measure requires exposed employee to consider all human blood and bodily fluids as infectious for HIV, HBV and other bloodborne pathogens. Employee will then institute necessary protective garment as it applies to mode of exposure.

CONTROL: Must be employed by all exposed employees

Prophylactic Engineering

Prophylactic engineering is aimed at minimizing employee exposure by prompt and correct removal or disposal of hazardous materials. This may ensure proper employee isolation from a hazardous environment. Sharp instruments and breakable material are disposed of in puncture-resistant containers; self-sheathing needles are used when available. All other contaminated materials will be disposed of in red double bags labeled contaminated hazardous waste.

Work Practice

In areas of occupational exposure the employee is strictly prohibited to eat, drink, smoke, apply cosmetics or lip balm, handling contact lenses, or mouth pipetting. The employee is also prohibited to store any of these materials in refrigerators or other areas where infectious materials may be found. Hand washing must be employed between patient contact and when gloves are removed. It is imperative that hand washing be employed immediately after skin contact is made with blood or other infectious or potentially infectious materials. Needle recapping, bending, or breaking is strictly prohibited unless one-handed recapping technique is used.

Protective Garment

Protective equipment must be used during occupational exposure. Protective equipment will maintain employee isolation from infectious materials. Protective equipment will prevent infectious contamination of skin, eyes, mouth or mucous membranes and work or street clothes. Protective garment will include but is not limited to latex gloves, gowns, laboratory coats, face shields, masks and eye protectors. Employer without cost will make protective equipment accessible to employee. Hypoallergenic gloves are available if necessary. Protective equipment will be disposed of according to the standards established in Prophylactic Engineering. Employee may temporarily decline protective garment under portentous conditions in the professional judgment of the employee and then reestablish protective garment as condition avail.

Standards of Usage:

Employee will remove protective equipment BEFORE leaving work area and after garment becomes contaminated.
Employee will dispose of protective garment appropriately to designated areas of decontamination, washables, or waste disposals.
Employee will wear latex gloves when handling potentially infectious or infectious materials or contacting infectious surfaces. Gloves will be replaced when torn, punctured, contaminated, or compromised in integrity.
Disposables will not be washed or decontaminated.
Employee will wear appropriate face, chin and eye protection such as face shields, eyewear and mask when conditions of splashes, sprays or spatters of blood droplets or other contaminated infectious materials arise. This garment will protect the face, eye, ears, nose and mouth.
Employee will wear appropriate body coverings including caps, boots, aprons and gowns when occupational exposure is expected.
Housekeeping
Employee will be in compliance with all housekeeping regulations instituted by medical facility.

EXPOSURE REACTION

If infectious contaminant or bloodborne pathogen has broken the natural barrier of the employee and achieved membranous and or circulatory habitant, the employee is required to follow through with exposure reaction protocols. Exposed employee must have post-exposure medical evaluation immediately after exposure. Evaluation process must

Include documentation of route of exposure and how incident occurred,
Document identification of source individual unless prohibited by state or local law or otherwise unattainable,
Obtain consent by source individual for HIV and HBV testing unless source individual has already been diagnosed to be positive in these respects,
Have results documented and issued to exposed employee and disclosure laws concerning source identity and infectious status,
Obtain consent by employee to conduct HIV and HBV testing,
Preserve blood drawn for baseline testing for 90 days only if employee refuses HIV and HBV testing,
Provide HIV and HBV counseling and prophylactic care according to the recommendations of the U.S. Public Health Service.

Employer will then issue post-exposure evaluation and a follow up copy of OSHA standards for health care professionals, responsible for Hepatitis B vaccination. Employer will also provide the health care professional evaluator with a job description of employee's duties as it relates to exposure incident. Evaluator will also be provided with documentation of route of exposure, conditions of exposure, results of blood testing, and all medical records relevant to exposure status and circumstances and vaccination status.

Employee will be provided with a written opinion from the evaluating health care professional within 15 days of evaluation. This written opinion is restricted to whether a vaccine is indicated and if it had been received. The written opinion also documents the results of the post-exposure evaluation and that the employee had been informed of the results of the medical evaluation. The written opinion also documents follow-up evaluations and or treatments recommended by health care professional. All other diagnoses will not be included in the written opinion and will be maintained confidential in the interest of the employee.

These guidelines and protocols are mandated according to the regulations established by OSHA.