Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: BLOODBORNE

THE EMPLOYER IS NOT LIMITED TO ABATEMENT METHODS SUGGESTED BY OSHA, IE., METHODS EXPLAINED ARE GENERAL AND MAY NOT BE EFFECTIVE IN ALL CASES. OTHER METHODS OF ABATEMENT MAY BE EQUALLY OR MORE APPROPRIATE. ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR DETERMINING THE MOST APPROPRIATE ABATEMENT METHOD RESTS WITH THE EMPLOYER, GIVEN ITS SUPERIOR KNOWLEDGE OF THE SPECIFIC CONDITIONS ON ITS WORKSITE. SECTION 5(A)(1) OF THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT OF 1970: THE EMPLOYER DID NOT FURNISH EMPLOYMENT AND A PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT WHICH WERE FREE FROM RECOGNIZED HAZARDS THAT WERE CAUSING OR LIKELY TO CAUSE DEATH OR SERIOUS PHYSICAL HARM TO EMPLOYEES IN THAT EMPLOYEES WERE EXPOSED TO: A) AT STEHLIN, DELPOLYI, AND GREEF ONCOLOGY CLINIC, 1315 CALHOUN ST., SUITE 1800, HOUSTON, TEXAS, HEALTH CARE WORKERS SUCH AS THE NURSES WERE EXPOSED TO THE HAZARDS OF BEING INFECTED BY HBV AND/OR HIV THROUGH POSSIBLE DIRECT CONTACT WITH BLOOD OR OTHER BODY FLUIDS. FEASIBLE AND USEFUL ABATEMENT METHODS FOR REDUCING THIS HAZARD, AMONG OTHERS, ARE: 1) OFFER HBV VACCINATION TO ALL EMPLOYEES. 2) ESTABLISH FOLLOW-UP PROCEDURES AFTER POSSIBLE EXPOSURE TO HIV AND/OR HBV. 3) OFFER TRAINING AND EDUCATION OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS, INCLUDING PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES, EPIDEMIOLOGY, MODES OF TRANSMISSION AND PREVENTION OF HIV/HBV, POSSIBLE RISKS TO THE FETUS FROM HIV/HBV, PROPER WORK PRACTICES, AND PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW IF THEY ARE EXPOSED TO NEEDLESTICK OR OTHER BODY FLUIDS.