The Center is committed to providing a safe and healthful work environment for our entire staff. In pursuit of this goal, the following exposure control plan (ECP) is provided to eliminate or minimize occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens in accordance with OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.1030, Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens and A.C. 3701-54-09 (m)5.

Employees covered by the bloodborne pathogens standard will receive an explanation of this ECP during their initial training session. It will also be reviewed on an annual basis. If requested, a copy of the ECP will be provided free of charge within fifteen (15) days of the request.

This Exposure Conrail Plan addresses the following:

Blood: includes human blood, human blood components, and products made from human blood.

Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP): microorganisms that are present in human blood and can cause disease in humans. These pathogens include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis, hepatitis C virus, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Contaminated: means the presence or the reasonably anticipated presence of blood or other potentially infectious materials on an item or surface.

Disinfectant/germicide: a product that kills or reduces pathogens to a level where disease transmission is unlikely. The recommended product is a 10% bleach and water mixture or an industrial germicide that meets the EPA's standard as "hospital grade".

Exposure Incident: means a specific eye, mouth, other mucous membrane, non-intact skin, or parenteral contact with blood or OPIM that results from the performance of an employee's duties.

Other potentially infectious materials (OPIM): includes 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 to differentiate between body fluids.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): is specialized clothing or equipment worn by an employee to protect against a hazard.

Sharps: means any object that can penetrate the skin including, but not limited to, needles, syringes, knife blades, or broken glass.

The Facilities Department and School Nurse are responsible for implementation of the ECP. The Facilities Department and School Nurse will maintain, review, and update the ECP annually, and whenever necessary to include new or modified tasks and procedures.

Those employees who are determined to have a higher risk of occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) must comply with the procedures and work practices outlined under the Engineering and Workplace Controls section in this ECP.

The Program Supervisor, School Nurse, or Facilities Department will provide and maintain all necessary personal protective equipment (PPE), engineering controls (e.g., sharps containers), and red bags as required by the standard. Adequate supplies of the aforementioned items will be readily available.

The Facilities Department and School Nurse will be responsible for ensuring that all medical actions required by the standard are performed and that appropriate employee health and required records are maintained.

The Facilities Department and School Nurse will be responsible for training, documentation of training, and making copies of the written ECP available.

PPE is provided to employees at no cost. Training in the use of the appropriate PPE for specific tasks or procedures will be provided.

The following types of PPE are available:

PPE may be obtained through any Program Supervisor, School Nurse, or the Facilities Department.

All employees using PPE must observe the following precautions:

The School Nurse will provide training to employees on hepatitis B vaccinations, addressing safety, benefits, efficacy, methods of administration, and availability.

The Center will not make participation in a prescreening program a prerequisite for receiving the hepatitis B vaccination.

The hepatitis B vaccination series is available at no cost after initial employee training and within ten (10) days of initial assignment to all employees identified in the exposure determination section of this plan. Vaccination is encouraged unless: 1) documentation exists that the employee has previously received the series; 2) antibody testing reveals that the employee is immune; or 3) medical evaluation shows that vaccination is contraindicated.

However, if an employee declines the vaccination, the employee must sign a declination form. Employees who decline may request and obtain the vaccination at a later date at no cost.

Documentation of refusal of the vaccination is kept in the Nurse Clinic.

Vaccination will be provided by licensed Healthcare Providers at the Center location.

If a routine booster dose(s) of hepatitis B vaccine is recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service at a future date, such booster dose(s) shall be provided by licensed healthcare providers at no cost to the employee.

Should an exposure incident occur, immediately contact the School Nurse.

A prompt confidential medical evaluation and follow-up will be conducted by licensed healthcare providers at no cost to the employee. Following initial first aid (clean the wound, flush eyes or other mucus membrane, etc.), the following activities will be performed:

The School Nurse will ensure that the licensed healthcare providers responsible for employee's hepatitis B vaccination and post-exposure evaluation and follow-up are given a copy of OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard.

The School Nurse will ensure that the licensed healthcare providers evaluating an employee after an exposure incident receives the following:

The School Nurse provides the employee with a copy of the evaluating licensed healthcare provider's written opinion within fifteen (15) days of the completion of the evaluation.

The licensed healthcare provider's written opinion for post-exposure evaluation and follow-up shall be limited to informing the employee of the results of the evaluation; informing the employee about any medical conditions resulting from the exposure that require further evaluation or treatment; and informing the employee that all other findings or diagnoses shall remain confidential and shall not be included in the written report.

The Facilities Department and the School Nurse will review the circumstances of all exposure incidents to determine/examine: the engineering controls in use at the time if work practices were followed; a description of the device being used (including type and brand) if PPE was being used at the time of the exposure; the location of the incident; the procedure being performed when the incident occurred; the employee's training records. The School Nurse will also record all percutaneous injuries from contaminated sharps in a Sharps Injury Log.

All Center employees will receive initial and annual bloodborne pathogen training conducted by the Facilities Department, School Nurse, or designee. Training is provided at no cost during regular work hours.

Employee training records will be provided upon request to the employee or the employee's authorized representative within fifteen (15) working days.

Medical records are maintained for each employee with occupational exposure in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.1020, Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records.

The School Nurse is responsible for maintenance of the required medical records. These confidential records are kept for at least the duration of employment plus thirty (30) years.

Employee medical records will be provided upon request to the employee or to anyone having written consent of the employee within fifteen (15) working days.

Any exposure incident will be evaluated to determine if the case meets OSHA's Recordkeeping Requirements (29 CFR 1904). This determination and the recording activities are done by the Facilities Department.

In addition to the recordkeeping requirements, all percutaneous injuries from contaminated sharps are also to be recorded in a Sharps Injury Log. All incidences must include:

The sharps injury log is reviewed as part of the annual program evaluation and maintained for at least five (5) years following the end of the calendar year covered. If a copy is requested, it must have any personal identifiers removed from the report.

Related Policies:

See also AG 8453.01.

I understand that due to my occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials, I may be at risk of acquiring hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. I have been given the opportunity to be vaccinated with hepatitis B vaccine, at no charge to myself. However, I decline hepatitis B vaccination at this time. I understand that by declining this vaccine, I continue to be at risk of acquiring hepatitis B, a serious disease. If in the future I continue to have occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials and I want to be vaccinated with hepatitis B vaccine, I can receive the vaccination series at no charge to me.

Employee Name:________________________________

Employee Signature:____________________________

Date:___________________________________________

Adopted 5/14/09