Meals to Isolation Rooms

Dietary employees can experience exposure to respiratory and bloodbome hazards when required to take dietary trays to patients. Exposure to infectious materials may also occur when handling red-bagged contaminated food trays that come from isolation rooms to the kitchen to be sterilized. Universal precautions consida aU human blood and OPIMs as infectious. The OSHA bloodbome pathogen standard requires workers exposed to blood and OPIMs to wear PPE such as gloves, masks, and gowns. 

Use engineering and work practice controls to limit exposnre. Educate and train all exposed employees to safely enter and exit isolation rooms and to safely handle food trays coming from isolation rooms. Encourage staff to nse a special bag for contaminated trays coming from isolation rooms and label the bag with necessary precantions to take. Use only disposable trays and plastic ware when delivery to patient isolation rooms. 

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