The mission of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is to save lives, prevent injuries, and protect the health of America's workers. To accomplish this, Federal and state governments must work in partnership with the more than 100 million working men and women and their six-and-one-half million employers who are covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.
Employers have certain responsibilities under OSHA, including:
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration released its bloodborne pathogens standards intended to protect millions of workers across the nation from workplace exposure to HIV and hepatitis. These standards cover employees exposed to blood and other infectious materials, including but not limited to employees in hospitals, healthcare facilities, nursing homes, and research laboratories. The standard requires employers to (1) develop a written exposure control plan, (2) establish a Hepatitis B vaccination program, (3) provide employees with hazard information and training, (4) maintain certain medical records surrounding exposure incidents, and (5) implement certain work practice controls, such as protective clothing and puncture-proof receptacles for tainted needles and other medical wastes.
OSHA says the rules will protect approximately 5.6 million employees in hospitals, doctors' offices, dentists' offices, nursing homes, funeral homes, linen services, medical equipment-repair companies, correctional facilities, emergency-response agencies, and law enforcement agencies. OSHA projects that the new restrictions will prevent 200 deaths and 9,200 bloodborne infections annually.
Managers and Labor Leaders can use the following checklist to assure that their workplace is following OSHA's requirements for protecting workers from HIV, HBV, HCV and other bloodborne pathogens.
____The employer has a written exposure control plan that includes a list of job classifications in which workers are or may be exposed to blood or certain bodily fluids.
____The employer has implemented universal precautions, meaning that all blood and certain bodily fluids, and potentially infectious material such as concentrated virus used in laboratory experiments, are treated as though they were potentially infectious for HIV, HBV, and HCV. Universal precautions apply to blood, blood products (like plasma), semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid (fluid in the brain and spinal column), synovial fluid (fluid around joints), pericardial fluid (fluid around the heart), amniotic fluid (fluid around a fetus), pleural fluid (fluid surrounding the lungs and chest wall), peritoneal fluids (fluids in the abdomen), saliva in dental procedures, concentrated forms of HIV or HBV(usually in the laboratory setting), and any other body fluid in which blood is visible.
____Hand washing sinks are available.
____The employer provides the hepatitis B vaccine free of charge to workers who are or may be exposed to blood or body fluids. Vaccination is voluntary, not mandatory.
____The employer has procedures for protective housekeeping practices in areas where workers are exposed to blood or body fluids.
____The employer provides gloves, gowns, eye protection, and other personal protective equipment as needed to workers who are or may be exposed to blood or body fluids. Gloves and other personal protective equipment are available in sufficient sizes and quantities and are of sufficient quality for the task at hand. Resuscitation bags or other ventilation devices are available in strategic locations to minimize the need for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
____The employer provides puncture-proof containers for the disposal of needles and other sharp instruments. Sharps containers are located wherever sharps are commonly used or found. Needles are never recapped, bent, broken, or removed from disposable syringes by hand. Resheathing instruments, self-sheathing needles, or forceps are used to prevent recapping by hand.
____The employer requires all "regulated waste" which is a portion of the larger grouping of "potentially infectious waste" to be placed in a container which is red or labeled with the biohazard symbol.
____Laundry workers who are or may be exposed to blood or body fluids are provided the same types of protections (appropriate personal protective equipment, training, hepatitis B vaccination, post-exposure-follow up) as other exposed workers. Soiled linen is bagged at the location where it is used. Laundry is not sorted or rinsed in patient-care areas. Laundry is transported in leak-proof bags.
____TThe employer follows standard sterilization and disinfection procedures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for protection from HBV when sterilizing or disinfecting instruments, devices, or other items contaminated with blood or body fluids. (See Appendix D for CDC's standard sterilization and disinfection procedures).
____Hand washing is required after gloves are removed following contact with blood or body fluids.
____The employer records needlestick injuries that require medical treatment on the OSHA 300 Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses and the OSHA 301 Injury and Illness Incident Report (the new forms replace the current 200 and 101 forms).
____The employer has follow-up procedures for cases where a worker suffers a needlestick injury or other significant exposure to blood or blood-contaminated bodily fluids (for example, a splash of blood in the eyes, nose, or mouth). The exposed worker is offered post-exposure follow-up including, if feasible, testing the person's blood. If the worker consents; performing post-exposure prophylaxis; offering counseling; and evaluating reported illnesses. All diagnoses must remain confidential.The exposed worker is offered the hepatitis B vaccine. No adverse action is taken against workers who are exposed but choose not to be tested or participate in post-exposure follow-up.
____The employer provides training to all workers who are or may be exposed to blood or body fluids on the job.
