Blood-borne pathogen exposure control plan

Health Act (OSHA), which regulates workplace safety. In particular, pharmacists who perform laboratory tests that require finger sticks are at risk from exposure to blood-borne pathogens. Pharmacies who perform these tests should have a blood-borne pathogen exposure control plan (BPEPC) that describes who should be trained about the hazards of blood-borne exposure, precautions that need to be taken to prevent exposure, and what to do when an exposure incident occurs (Rosenthal, 2000). More information regarding OSHA and an example BPEPC can be found at the OSHA Web site (www.osha.gov). 

Documented policies and effective use of mandated plans and/or programs in the areas of chemical hygiene, control of exposure to blood-borne pathogens, tuberculosis control, and ergonomics... 

As discussed earlier in this section, OSHA has mandated that all U.S. laboratories have an exposure control plan. In addition, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a functional unit of the GDC, has prepared and widely distributed a document entitled Universal Pre-cautions that specifies how U.S. clinical laboratories handle infectious agents. In general it mandates that clinical laboratories treat aU human blood and other potentially infectious materials as if they were known to contain infectious agents, such as HBV, HIV, and other blood-borne pathogens. These requirements apply to all specimens of blood, serum, plasma, blood products, vaginal secretions, semen, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, and concentrated HBV or HIV viruses. In addition, any specimen of any type that contains visible traces of blood should be bandied using tliese Universal Precautions. 

The OSHA Blood-Borne Pathogen Standard mandates that each facility must establish its own blood-borne exposure control plan to avoid placing employees in contact with blood, body fluids, or other potentially infectious materials. Each facility develops its own program and trains employees to the requirements of that program. 

The following exposure control plan (ECP) has been developed to eliminate or minimize occupational exposure to bloodbome pathogens according to OSHA s Occupational Exposure to Blood-borne Pathogens standard at 1910.1030. 

---