BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS

1
BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS

• Rutherford County Schools
• Department of School
• Health Services

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What Are Bloodborne Pathogens?

• Bloodborne Pathogens are germs (microorganisms)
  that are present in human blood and can infect
  people and cause disease.

3
How are these GERMS spread?

• They are spread by contaminated blood or body
  fluids (urine, vomit, mucous, semen, etc.) that
  enter the body of another.
• Transmission is most likely to occur through
• An accidental cutting of skin by a sharp object,
  such as broken glass that is contaminated
• Contact between broken or damaged skin and
  infected body fluids
• Contact between mucous membranes and infected
• body fluids

4
What is Broken Skin?

• Open sores
• Cuts
• Abrasions
• Acne
• Any sort of damaged or broken skin such as
  sunburn blisters or by scratching mosquito bites

5
How Else Can it be Spread?

• Through mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, or
  mouth
• Unprotected sex with an infected person
• Sharing needles with an infected person

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How is it NOT Spread?

• Through touching an infected person
• Coughing or sneezing
• Using the same equipment, materials, toilets,
  water fountains, or showers as an infected person

7
What Can I Do to Protect Myself?

• Use UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS (treat everyone as if
  they are infected!)
• You have gloves available for your use
• Ask your school nurse or the custodian for more
  gloves if you are out
• Be sure to wash your hands after taking off the
  gloves
• Appropriate Housekeeping Measures
• Proper disposal of contaminated waste
• Bandages that are NOT dripping blood can be
  disposed of in a regular garbage can
• MRSA contaminated bandages are highly contagious
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Using gloves and/or goggles when appropriate

8
What Could Happen at Work to Put Me At Risk?

• If you dont put your gloves on before dealing
  with a child that is vomiting
• If you are a First Responder and dont put your
  gloves or eye protection on
• If there is bleeding and you dont put your
  gloves on
• If you are changing a diaper and dont wear your
  gloves
• What else can you think of that may put you at
  risk?

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Complete Your Hepatitis B Series if You Are
Designated At Risk

• Physical education teachers, coaches, and
  cheerleader sponsors
• School secretaries and/or Para Professionals/Educa
  tional Assistants, if they are designated as the
  persons who deals with injuries in the normal
  performance of their duties
• Health Occupation instructors,
• CDC teachers and paraprofessionals working with
  developmentally disabled/severely disabled
  students
• Bus attendants who work with developmentally
• disabled students
• Custodians
• School Principals and their Assistant Principals
• First Responder team members
• Shop teachers, who deal with equipment where
  there is a risk of
• injury, i.e. wood shop, auto
  mechanics, etc.
• School Nurses.

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Response Involving Blood or Body Fluids

• Wear appropriate gloves or goggles
• Carefully cover the spill with an absorbent
  material, i.e. paper towel, to prevent splashing
• Disinfect with proper solution (custodian will
  have the proper equipment)
• Wait 10 minutes to ensure adequate
  decontamination, and then carefully wipe up the
  spilled material
• Disinfect all mops and cleaning tools after the
  job is done
• Dispose of all contaminated materials
  appropriately
• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and
  water immediately after the clean up is complete

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Waste Disposal

• Do NOT pick broken glass up directly with your
  hands. Instead use items such as a brush and
  dustpan to pick it up
• Sterilize broken glass that is visibly
  contaminated with blood with an approved
  disinfectant before cleaning it up
• Dispose of decontaminated glass in an appropriate
  sharps container. Sharps containers should be
  leak-proof on sides and bottom, and appropriately
  labeled
• Dispose of uncontaminated broken glass in a
  closable, puncture resistant container

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What if I Have an Exposure.

• That results in a cut by a potentially
  contaminated needle or other sharp object?
• A splash of blood or other potentially infectious
  materials to the eyes, mouth, or mucous
  membranes?
• Blood or other potentially infectious materials
  contacting broken skin?
• Early treatment can significantly reduce the
  chance of disease transmission!

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When an Employee Has a Possible Exposure

• Clean the area immediately preferably with soap
  and water or use alcohol based hand rub
• For eyes flush with running water
• Inform the Principal and/or your supervisor as
  soon as possible
• Complete the First Report of Injury Form
• Complete the Panel of Physicians Form
• You will be seen by the Workmans Comp
  physician that you selected on the Panel of
• Physicians Form

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If You Have Any Questions

• Please contact your school nurse
• She is always available to answer your questions