| Imagine receiving a call that an employee has | | | | flush them with clean water for up to five |
| been injured from a fall down a flight of steps at | | | | minutes. If a flushing agent is not available at the |
| your facility. The caller tells you that 911 has been | | | | scene, have someone get water for you. |
| called and some of your fellow employees are | | | | Firefighters or paramedics can assist you if they |
| tending to the victim. As a supervisor, you decide | | | | are still at the scene. |
| to respond to the scene. | | | | CLEAN - After an emergency, especially in the |
| You arrive just as firefighters and paramedics | | | | shop area or office, clean any areas contaminated |
| take over caring for the victim. These rescuers | | | | with blood or body fluids. Wear protective |
| do their job well - the victim is stabilized, wrapped | | | | equipment. Clean the area with a solution of one |
| up for transport to the hospital and gently placed | | | | part Clorox and eight parts water. Completely |
| on the stretcher. | | | | flush the area and let the solution stand for at |
| As you watch, you can't help but notice that the | | | | least three minutes. Be careful when wiping up the |
| firefighters and paramedics are wearing medical | | | | area, especially if you are dealing with broken |
| gloves and goggles. As EMS (emergency medical | | | | glass or wood or metal splinters. Put all soiled |
| services) personnel leave the area, you approach | | | | items, including soiled cleaning materials, in a plastic |
| the employees who helped to thank them for | | | | bag and take it to the dumpster as soon as you |
| their efforts. Almost immediately you become | | | | are finished. If there is an injection device (such as |
| aware of a very frightening sight - both of the | | | | a needle) involved, try to give it to the medics or |
| rescuers have fairly large spots of blood on their | | | | firefighters before they leave; otherwise, get it in |
| clothing and, even more upsetting, both are using | | | | the dumpster and use extreme caution while |
| paper towels to wipe the blood off of their hands. | | | | doing so. |
| It is obvious that these employees did nothing to | | | | TELL - Report the incident immediately to your |
| protect themselves from disease transmission | | | | supervisor or human resources department. Ask |
| and both have been contaminated with the | | | | for a dated copy of the report (even if it is only |
| victim's blood. | | | | handwritten). |
| Wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) is an | | | | EMPLOYERS' RESPONSIBILITIES - Employers |
| important part of professional rescuers' | | | | have a responsibility to protect their employees |
| equipment. They know that protecting | | | | from exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Here are |
| themselves from bloodborne pathogens is, in | | | | the specifics of this responsibility. |
| some ways, just as important as caring for the | | | | PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT - Any |
| victim. But what about your people - do they | | | | employee at risk of being exposed to bloodborne |
| know the risks associated with not wearing | | | | pathogens must be provided with the protective |
| protective equipment? | | | | equipment necessary to keep them safe from |
| If your company provides first aid kits for | | | | exposure. This equipment includes gloves, goggles |
| employee use or if your employees are required | | | | and, if required, breathing masks or barriers for |
| to respond to a medical emergency, they should | | | | CPR. |
| have access to protective equipment and receive | | | | EDUCATION - Not all professions require |
| training on bloodborne pathogens. | | | | bloodborne pathogen education and prevention |
| ASSESS YOUR OPERATION'S RISK FOR | | | | training. |
| EXPOSURE - I was recently asked to evaluate | | | | A call to OSHA (Occupational Safety & |
| exposure risks for an association of tow truck | | | | Health Administration) may or may not give you |
| operators, body shop technicians and auto | | | | the answer you are looking for. It appears as |
| mechanics. These people lacked training on | | | | though OSHA looks at a number of factors when |
| bloodborne pathogens. | | | | determining whether an employer does or does |
| Tow truck operators wear thick, leather work | | | | not have to comply. For example, if you offer |
| gloves and routinely pick up bloodstained | | | | voluntary CPR/first aid training to your |
| windshields or wrap contaminated airbags around | | | | employees, they may not be required to take |
| steering columns. Body shop technicians pull | | | | bloodborne pathogen training. If you have |
| contaminated seats from wrecked vehicles and | | | | designated first aid responders within your |
| then sit on them during their breaks or at | | | | organization, you probably fall under the training |
| lunchtime. Mechanics have a tendency to cut their | | | | requirements. |
| knuckles or foreheads while repairing vehicles. | | | | Many of you know your employees' occupational |
| They also share tools with fellow employees - | | | | exposure risk. If you have personnel who are |
| tools that are contaminated with blood from their | | | | routinely or even occasionally exposed to blood or |
| last injury. | | | | body fluids in the execution of their duties, you |
| I know you're not in the automobile repair | | | | may want to consider offering protective |
| business. The examples above are intended to | | | | equipment and training to these employees. |
| get you thinking about your own operation's risks | | | | ENGINEERING CONTROLS - Engineering controls |
| of exposure to potentially dangerous body fluids. | | | | help to protect employees from bloodborne |
| Do you have a first responder team or people | | | | pathogen contamination and prevent the spread |
| assigned to respond to an emergency? Are first | | | | of pathogens in the workplace. Here's an example |
| aid kits available to employees? Do employees | | | | of engineering controls: An employee using his |
| share equipment or tools that could become | | | | leather work gloves realizes he has come in |
| contaminated? Who is responsible for cleaning up | | | | contact with body fluids and the gloves are |
| body fluids after an accident or injury? | | | | contaminated. Two controls should be in place to |
| Without proper communication policies and training | | | | protect the employee. First, knowing his exposure |
| in preventing disease transmission, your | | | | risk, the employer should have a spare set of |
| employees could find themselves exposed to the | | | | gloves on hand so that the operator can |
| same dangers paramedics and firefighters face | | | | complete his job. Second, the company should |
| while coming to their aid. | | | | have a procedure for disposing of or cleaning the |
| So what can you do to reduce the risk of | | | | soiled gloves. |
| exposure? Let's start with defining bloodborne | | | | WORK PRACTICES - Setting standard practices |
| pathogens and the impact that exposure to them | | | | for preventing disease transmission is a very |
| can have on employees and employers. | | | | important part of an employer's responsibility in |
| CONTAMINATION PREVENTION GUIDELINES - | | | | protecting employees. |
| Bloodborne pathogens are pathogenic | | | | In the case of the body shop previously |
| microorganisms that are transmitted via human | | | | mentioned, good work practices would include |
| blood and cause disease in humans. They include - | | | | establishing a policy requiring workers to wrap |
| but are not limited to - hepatitis B and human | | | | plastic around seats pulled from a wrecked vehicle |
| immunodeficiency virus (HIV). | | | | and prohibiting them from sitting on the seats, |
| I know for many people (myself included) words | | | | even with the plastic cover in place. |
| like microorganisms, immunodeficiency and | | | | Providing employees with their own toolboxes is |
| pathogens bring back thoughts of high school and | | | | another good practice. If they share tools, have a |
| health classes - the last places in the world most | | | | policy in place for cleaning and decontaminating |
| of us want to revisit. So before we go any | | | | tools, especially after an accident or injury. |
| further, let me put it in my terms: There's a lot | | | | Moreover, make sure employees know the |
| of junk out there that can make us very sick, or | | | | importance of disposing of or cleaning |
| even kill us if we become contaminated. | | | | contaminated personal protective equipment. |
| We need to constantly be on guard and be very | | | | Finally, offer a course in bloodborne pathogen |
| careful so that we don't become contaminated. | | | | training. It is an excellent way to communicate the |
| I've been teaching CPR and first aid training for | | | | importance of preventing disease transmission and |
| over 25 years, and I'm often asked if I would do | | | | protecting your company from a huge liability |
| rescue breathing without a barrier on someone I | | | | workers compensation claim. |
| do not know. I respond without hesitation: If I | | | | HAVE A WRITTEN POLICY AND REPORTING |
| found someone unresponsive and not breathing, I | | | | PROCEDURES IN PLACE - As I previously |
| would immediately call for help and begin chest | | | | mentioned, implement policies related to |
| compressions on the victim, but there is no way I | | | | bloodborne pathogens at your operation. Start |
| would do mouth-to-mouth on the individual without | | | | small, then expand on the policies as new issues |
| a breathing barrier. | | | | surface. Communicate with your people. Make |
| Emergency responders know the risks associated | | | | sure they know the reporting procedures and the |
| with coming in contact with bloodborne pathogens, | | | | importance of reporting any possible |
| and they know how to protect themselves. | | | | contamination. |
| Unfortunately, far too many people in the | | | | OSHA has templates for creating your own |
| workplace or good Samaritans on the street do | | | | company bloodborne pathogens policy and/or |
| little, if anything, to take the necessary | | | | procedure. Simply download the forms, fill in the |
| precautions. Too often they realize they've been | | | | blanks with your company name, etc., print them |
| exposed to body fluids after the emergency, | | | | out and you're good to go. Additional information |
| when it's too late to do anything about it. | | | | can be obtained by calling your regional OSHA |
| EMPLOYEES - Here are a few simple rules to | | | | office. |
| follow when faced with the possibility of exposure | | | | TRAINING, POLICIES ARE WORTHWHILE |
| to bloodborne pathogens, or any body fluids for | | | | INVESTMENTS - I am a business of one, but if I |
| that matter. This information is presented as | | | | did have employees, I can assure you - they |
| guidelines for both employees and employers. The | | | | would be trained on bloodborne pathogen risks |
| American Heart Association calls it "Making a | | | | and contamination prevention, and my company |
| PACT, Know How to Act." | | | | would have a policy in place. It's the right thing to |
| PROTECT - Protect yourself from blood or | | | | do for a business, its employees and the |
| blood-containing materials. This includes wearing | | | | employer. And just imagine how good it would |
| protective equipment such as gloves and goggles | | | | feel to know that your operation is in compliance |
| and using a breathing barrier if you are performing | | | | should OSHA officials decide to visit. |
| CPR. Consider your options if you find yourself | | | | Invest an hour for setting up your program, |
| with no protective equipment. | | | | distribute the information to your employees and |
| ACT - If you find you have come into contact | | | | arrange for a 30-minute bloodborne pathogen |
| with another person's blood or other body fluids, | | | | education and prevention class. The investment is |
| act quickly and safely. Wash the area immediately | | | | small, but the dividends to you and your |
| with hot, soapy water for up to a minute before | | | | employees will be huge. |
| rinsing. If your eyes have been contaminated, | | | | |