Occupational Exposure Blood borne Pathogens

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. 

Laboratories that work with human blood must adhere to OSHA s Standard for Occupational Exposure to Blood borne Pathogens (29 CER 1910.1030), which requires waste containment, marking, and labeling. The OSHA standard also regulates waste disposal from laboratories that manipulate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV). In general, such waste that is chemically contaminated can be incinerated with other medical waste or can be autoclaved and managed as a chemical waste. 

Occupational Exposure to Blood borne Pathogens 29 CFR 1910.1030 Worker protection from exposure to blood borne pathogens ... 

If it is reasonably anticipated employees will be exposed to blood or other potentially infectious materials while using first aid supplies, employers should provide personal protective equipment (PPE). Appropriate PPE includes gloves, gowns, face shields, masks and eye protection (see Occupational Exposure to Blood borne Pathogens , 29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(3)) (56 FR 64175). 

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. 

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