Human blood, human blood components and products made from human blood. Human blood components include plasma, platelets and serosanguinous fluids (e.g., wound exudates).
Any pathogenic microorganisms that may be present in human blood and can cause human disease. These pathogens include but are not limited to HIV and HBV. Other bloodborne pathogens include agents of hepatitis C, malaria, syphilis, babesiosis, brucellosis, leptospirosis, arboviral infections, relapsing fever, Creutzfeld-Jakob disease, Human T-lymphotrophic Virus type I and viral hemorrhagic fever.
The presence or reasonably anticipated presence of blood or other potentially infectious materials on any item or surface.
The use of physical or chemical means to remove, inactivate or destroy bloodborne pathogens on a surface or item to the point where they are no longer capable of transmitting infectious particles and the surface or item is rendered safe for handling, use or disposal.
Any permanent or temporary employee, graduate or undergraduate student that receives a University paycheck and could potentially be exposed to bloodborne pathogens in the course of their work.
Controls (e.g. sharps disposal containers, self-sheathing needles) that isolate or remove the bloodborne pathogens hazard from the workplace.
A specific eye, mouth, other mucous membrane, non-intact skin or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials that results from the performance of an employee's duties. Non-intact skin includes skin with dermatitis, hangnails, abrasions, chafing, etc.
A facility providing potable water, soap and single use towels or hot air drying machines.
Reasonably anticipated skin, eye, mucous membrane, or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials that may result from the performance of an employee's duties.
(1) The following human body fluids: semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva in dental procedures, any body fluid that is visibly contaminated with blood, and all body fluids in situations where it is difficult or impossible to differentiate between body fluids; (2) Any unfixed tissue or organ (other than intact skin) from a human (living or dead); (3) HIV-containing cell or tissue cultures, organ cultures, and HIV- or HBV-containing culture medium or other solutions; and blood, organs, or other tissues from experimental animals infected with HIV or HBV.
A device that does not use needles for (1) the collection of bodily fluids or withdrawal of body fluids after initial venous or arterial access is established; (2) the administration of medication or fluids; or (3) any other procedure involving the potential for occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens due to percutaneous injuries from contaminated sharps.
Piercing mucous membranes or the skin barrier through such events as needlesticks, human bites, cuts and abrasions.
Specialized clothing or equipment worn by an employee for protection against a hazard. General work clothes (e.g., uniforms, pants, shirts) not intended to function as protection against a hazard are not considered to be personal protective equipment.
Liquid or semi-liquid blood or other potentially infectious materials; contaminated items that would release blood or other potentially infectious materials in a liquid or semi-liquid state if compressed; items that are caked with dried blood or other potentially infectious materials and are capable of releasing these materials during handling; contaminated sharps; and pathological and microbiological wastes containing blood or other potentially infectious materials.
A non-needle sharp or a needle device used for withdrawing body fluids, accessing a vein or artery, or administering medications or other fluids, with a built-in safety feature or mechanism that effectively reduces the risk of an exposure incident.
Any individual, living or dead, whose blood or other potentially infectious materials may be a source of occupational exposure to the employee.
(formerly universal precautions)
An approach to infection control in which all human blood and human body fluids, secretions and excretions except sweat are treated as if they are infected with HIV, HBV and other bloodborne pathogens.
Controls that reduce the likelihood of exposure by altering the manner in which a task is performed (e.g., prohibiting recapping of needles by a two-handed technique)
1 Sharps are devices/items having corners, edges, or projections capable of cutting or piercing the skin. This includes hypodermic needles, syringes (with or without the attached needle), pasteur pipettes, scalpel blades, blood vials, needles with attached tubing, culture dishes, suture needles, slides, cover slips and other broken or unbroken glass or plasticware. Sharps must be managed in accordance with the EHRS Laboratory Sharps Waste Management Procedure.
2 In 1996 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention replaced “universal precautions” with “ standard precautions”. See “Guideline for Isolation Precautions in Hospitals”, JS Garner et al, Inf. Cont & Hosp. Epid., Vol. 17, No.1, p 53-80, Jan., 1996.