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

The alleged violations below have been grouped because they involve similar or related hazards that may increase the potential for illness. Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish his employees 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) Health care workers in a dental office were exposed to the hazard 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. Hepatitis B Vaccination. The facility's IC policy regarding hepatitis B vaccinations shall address all circumstances warranting such vaccinations and shall identify employees at substantial risk of directly contacting body fluids. All such employees shall be offered hepatitis B vaccinations free of charge in amounts and at times prescribed by standard medical practices. 2. Linen. The IC program shall have identified all laundry operations involving substantial risk of direct exposure to body fluids. Linen soiled with body fluids shall be handled as little as possible and with minimum agitation to prevent contamination of the person handling the linen. All soiled linen shall be bagged at the location where it was used: it shall not be sorted or rinsed in patient-care areas. Soiled linen shall be placed and transported in bags that prevent leakage. 3. Handwashing. Gloves should be removed immediately after completing work on a patient. After removing gloves, hands or other skin surfaces shall be washed thoroughly and immediately after contact with body fluids. 4. Training and Education of Health Care Workers. a. All high risk health care workers shall receive education on precautionary measures, epidemioligy, modes of transmiss- ion and prevention of HIV/HBV. Health care workers shall be counseled regarding possible risks to the fetus from HIV/HBV and other associated infectious agents. b. In addition, such high risk workers must receive training regarding the location and proper use of personal protective equipment. They shall be trained concerning proper work practices and, if the facility has implemented them, shall understand the concept of "universal precautions" as it applies to their work practices. They shall be trained about the meaning of color coding or other methods (except tags) used to designate contaminated articles or infectious waste. Where tags are used, training about tags and precautions to be used in handling contaminated articles or infectious waste is governed by 29 CFR 1910.145(f). (See section M.4.) Workers shall receive training about procedures to be used if they are exposed to needlestick or to body fluids.