Which activities should be avoided when in an area with a likely source of a bloodborne pathogen?

Bloodborne pathogens are disease-causing microorganisms in human blood that can cause diseases such as hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). If you think you’ve been exposed to bloodborne pathogens, knowing what to do next is crucial to your health and well being. 

BloodBorne Pathogens: 5 Steps to Take if You’ve Been Exposed

If you think you may have been exposed to bloodborne pathogens, it is important to act quickly to remediate the situation. If you aren’t sure what to do, these 5 steps can help:

1. Wash exposed skin, cuts, and needlestick injuries thoroughly with soap and water.
2. If you have been splashed by potentially infectious fluids around the eyes, nose or mouth, flush the area with water.
3. Immediately report the incident to emergency medical services.
4. If the incident occurred at work, immediately report the incident to your supervisor. (You are protected by OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogen Standard. This document can help you understand your rights).
5. Seek an immediate evaluation from a medical professional.

Understanding Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure

Bloodborne pathogens can be transmitted in a number of ways:

• Direct contact occurs when infected body fluid or blood from one individual enters another individual’s body. An example of this would be someone else’s blood splashing into your eye.
• Indirect contact occurs when an object containing the blood or body fluid of an infected person touches someone’s skin.
• Respiratory droplet transmission occurs when an infected person sneezes or coughs and the droplets are inhaled by another person.

Who Is at Risk?

• Health care workers are at a high risk of being exposed to bloodborne pathogens through needlesticks, broken skin that comes into contact with potentially infectious materials, body fluids splashing into eyes, and countless other ways.
• Not everyone who is at risk of becoming exposed to a bloodborne pathogen is a health care worker, however. Anyone who comes into contact with human blood or body fluids is at risk.

Because it is possible that an individual has a bloodborne pathogen without even knowing it, you should treat all human blood and body fluids as if they are infected.

Aftermath is Here to Help

If you find yourself in a situation that feels too big to manage (examples include significant blood spills, unattended death, or industrial accidents), it is best to ask for help from a professional.

Unlike a general purpose cleaning company, Aftermath approaches biohazard remediation with a full scientific process to fully contain, sanitize, and remediate all potential blood-borne pathogens from homes and properties. 

The Aftermath Way

To learn more about Aftermath and how we can help you, speak with a representative day or night.

Have you taken OSHA bloodborne pathogen (BBP) test? How much do you remember about bloodborne pathogens and how you can protect yourself from infection? Test your knowledge with this OSHA bloodborne pathogens test!

Quick Review of Bloodborne Pathogens

Before you begin, here is a quick review of what bloodborne pathogen are, in case you have forgotten.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), “Bloodborne pathogens are infectious microorganisms in human blood that can cause disease in humans. These pathogens include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).”

According to Eugene School District, “Bloodborne Pathogens can be transmitted when blood or body fluid from an infected person enters another person’s body via needle-sticks, human bites, cuts, abrasions, or through mucous membranes.

Any body fluid with blood is potentially infectious. Also, semen, vaginal secretions and saliva in dental procedures are considered potentially infected body fluids.”

Ready to Take the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Test?

1. Bloodborne pathogens may enter your system through:

a) Skin abrasions
b) Open cuts
c) Mucous membranes
d) All of the above

2. If you are exposed to potentially infectious materials (PIM) while working, you may request a vaccine for which bloodborne disease?

a) Syphilis
b) Hepatitis B
c) Influenza
d) HIV

3. When discussing the Bloodborne Pathogen Standard, what are the main diseases of concern?

a) HIV, HBV, HCV
b) PVC, HAV, HDV
c) CDC, PCP, HEV
d) HIV, HEV, BVD

4. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is:

a) A virus that does not currently have a cure, but can be controlled with medication
b) A bacterial illness that can be treated with antibiotics
c) The virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
d) Both a and c

5. The term universal precautions refers to:

a) Wearing sunblock before sun exposure
b) Locking the doors of your house before leaving
c) Treating all body fluids as if they are infectious
d) Using hand sanitizer before eating

6. If you wear gloves while handling PIMs, it is not necessary to wash your hands afterwards.

a) True
b) False

7. Which of the following may contain bloodborne pathogens?
a) Vaginal secretions
b) Semen
c) Saliva that contains traces of blood
d) All of the above

And Now For the Answers to the Test!

How do you think you did? Let’s find out!

1. Bloodborne pathogens may enter your system through:

d) All of the above — skin abrasions, open cuts, mucous membranes

2. If you are exposed to potentially infectious materials (PIM) while working, you may request a vaccine for which bloodborne disease?

b) Hepatitis B

3. When discussing the Bloodborne Pathogen Standard, what are the main diseases of concern?

a) HIV, HBV, HCV

4. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is:

d) both A and C — a virus that does not currently have a cure, but can be controlled with medication, and the virus that causes AIDS

5. The term universal precautions refers to…

c) Treating all body fluids as if they are infectious

6. If you wear gloves while handling PIM, it is not necessary to wash your hands afterwards.

b) False

7. Which of the following may contain bloodborne pathogens?

d) All of the above — vaginal secretions, semen, saliva with traces of blood.

Aftermath Effectively Remove the Risk of Bloodborne Pathogens

For anyone who works with blood, body fluids, or biohazardous waste, completing OSHA BBP training is essential to your occupational health and safety. For anyone who is faced with a bloodspill that he or she feels is too large to handle on his or her own, Aftermath can help.

All of Aftermath’s technicians complete OSHA bloodborne pathogen training and can provide proof of compliance with this 28-point checklist. We are available to assist you 24/7, call us anytime.

———-

Sources:

OSHA: https://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_BloodborneFacts/bbfact01.pdf
Eugene School District: http://www.4j.lane.edu/hr/risk/howarebloodbornepathogens/