OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH 
ACT 29CFR part 1910.1030

BLOODBORNE PATHOGEN STANDARD

COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF RHODE ISLAND

EXPOSURE CONTROL PLAN ANNUAL RETRAINING SESSION

Presented to CCRI Faculty and Staff

By: Emanuel G. Terezakis, Ph.D., Chemical Safety Coordinator

PURPOSE: The purpose of the Bloodborne Pathogen Standard is to limit occupational exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials in order to prevent the transmission of diseases such as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and others.

SCOPE: All employees who could be reasonably expected, as a result of their job duties, to come into contact with blood or other infectious materials. Federal OSHA does not apply to Rhode Island state employees, but the Rhode Island Department of Labor has adopted an essentially identical Standard for state employees. CCRI comes under the jurisdiction of the Rhode Island Department of Labor.

EPIDEMIOLOGY OF BLOODBORNE INFECTIONS: Transmission by sexual contact, shared needles, blood transfusions, accidental needle sticks, contact of infected fluid with mouth, eyes, abraded skin, etc. Which body fluids are infectious? What happens to exposed persons? What happens if actual infection occurs? Need for Universal Precautions.

COMMUNICATION OF HAZARDS TO EMPLOYEES: Conducted in small training sessions tailored to individual department needs. Training must be repeated annually. Training video, Universal Precautions for School Staff. Copies of this written training session and accompanying handouts are available to all College employees. Keep these for future reference in case of questions or accidental exposure. More information can be obtained from your trainer, the College Health Service, the CCRI Office of Human Resources or OH+R.

WHAT CONSTITUTES OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE? Accidental needle sticks from improperly packaged sharps; cuts from broken glass containers of body fluids; accidental skin contact with vomit, urine or feces possibly contaminated with blood.

EXPOSURE CONTROL PLAN - APPROPRIATE PRACTICES:

• Puncture-proof sharps containers are used to dispose of use hypodermic needles, scalpels, lances, etc. Used sharps are never thrown directly in the trash. Signs and Labels (including red or orange biohazard symbol) on all sharps containers and medical waste containers (from MLTC, Dental, and Nursing labs, and from Student Health offices).
• Use gloves when moving or handling anything containing biohazardous materials. Use heavy gloves and dustpan and brush when cleaning up sharps such as broken glass or loose hypodermic needles. Put such items in a sharps container. Use personal protection (gloves, goggles, face shield, apron, etc.) appropriate to the situation when assisting anyone with injuries, such as a cut, scrape, bloody nose, etc.
• CPR should only be administered by properly trained and certified persons who follow approved procedures and use gloves and approved CPR mouthpiece, dam or bag.
• For cleanup of blood, urine, vomit or feces, use gloves and appropriate disinfectant. Dispose of contaminated material and gloves in sealed plastic bags. Wash hands with disinfectant soap after any cleanup operation.
• Wash exposed tissues thoroughly with disinfectant soap after any contact with possibly infectious material. Report suspected exposure at once and seek testing and counseling from OH+R

HEPATITIS B VACCINATION: The vaccine series is offered free through the College Health Service to any individual whose job duties expose him/her to contact with possibly infectious body fluids. You may elect not to take the vaccine for any reason (for instance, high antibody titre, allergy to the vaccine or simply, your preference). If you refuse the HBV vaccine you may be asked to sign a waiver.  At present, there is no known vaccine effective against the AIDS virus or the Hepatitis C virus.

TESTING AND POST-EXPOSURE FOLLOW-UP: Any CCRI employee who suffers an exposure to bloodborne pathogens is urged to seek testing, and, if necessary, treatment and follow-up counseling. This can be provided by the employee’s own physician or at an emergency room. Testing, treatment and counseling are also available through Workers Compensation to College employees by Occupational Health and Rehabilitation, Inc. of Warwick and Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Immediate response to worker exposure or injury is available. Information on OH+R services is available from the CCRI Office of Human Resources and on the handout accompanying this Exposure Control Plan.  Exposure and testing records are confidential and kept by OH+R.

The Rhode Island Department of Health WebSite has specific information on Hepatitis B at http://www.health.ri.gov/topics/hepb.php, Hepatitis C at http://www.health.ri.gov/topics/hepc.php and HIV/AIDS at http://www.health.ri.gov/hiv/index.php.