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

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 health care workers were exposed to the hazard of being infected by HBV and/or HIV through possible direct contact with blood or other body fluids: THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING JOB CLASSIFICATIONS, AN EFFECTIVE PROGRAM WHICH WOULD ELIMINATE THE RECAPPING OF NEEDLES WAS NOT IMPLEMENTED: DENTISTRY - DENTISTS AND DENTAL ASSISTANTS THE EMPLOYER DID NOT ENSURE THAT EMPLOYEES WHO HAD RECEIVED TRAINING ON PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES AND MODES OF TRANSMISSION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE(S) DID NOT RECAP NEEDLES BY HAND. NEEDLES WHICH HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH BODY FLUIDS MAY CONTAIN A VIRUS(S) INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, HIV OR HBV WHICH CAN CAUSE SERIOUS DISEASES SUCH AS AIDS OR HEPATITIS B. AMONG OTHER MEHTODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE ABATEMENT METHOD WOULD BE USING ALTERNATIVE RECAPPING DEVICES.