Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 002 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 employees were exposed to the following conditions which increase the risk of employees contracting blood-borne diseases: A complete and effective training and information program on the hazards of blood-borne diseases and effective precautions for reducing the risk of infection was not made available to the following employees: a) Dentists whose work duties include direct patient care, direct injection of anesthetics and invasive dental procedures. b) Dental Assistants whose work duties include direct patient care in conjuction with the dentist's procedures, instrument handling and washing. c) Dental Hygienists whose work duties include direct patient care, cleaning procedures using various instruments, polishing equipment and a ultrasonic cleaner which can result in widespread splattering of blood-saliva, and occasional washing of contaminated instruments and equipment. d) An X-ray technician whose work duties include the handling of potentially contaminated materials (e.g., bloody guaze) during patient preparation for X-rays. e) An office housekeeper whose work duties include disposal of blood contaminated waste and clean-up of blood spills on walls or floors. In accordance with recommended practices from the CDC's guidelines for protection from blood-borne diseases, feasible methods of abatement include, but are not limited to the provision of training and information in the following categories: 1) Hazards --e.g., risk factors, illness descriptions, epidemiology and potential for fetal risk. 2) Protective Measures -- e.g., engineering controls, personal protective equipment, biohazard labeling. 3) Emergency or Non-routine Procedures -- e.g., precautions for CPR, spill cleanup and exposure incidence reports and tracking. 4) Medical Procedures -- e.g., medical treatment, surveillance and records.