4.13 Blood-borne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan

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Centreville Police Department
Title: Blood-borne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan Directive #: 4.13
Issued: 10.1.2016 Revised: 10.1.2016
Approved by: Charles M. Rhodes, Jr.
Chief of Police
A. Policy
Employees will be trained to prevent exposure to bio-hazards which may contain blood-borne pathogens. CPD
employees will follow certain procedures should an exposure occur.
B. Definitions
BIO-HAZARDS:
• blood, body fluids, medical waste or other potentially infectious materials.
BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS:
• microorganisms that can cause disease that may be present in human blood. They include the Hepatitis B
Virus (HBV) and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
BLOODBORNE PATHOGEN PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (BPPE):
• specialized clothing or equipment worn by an employee for protection against a bio-hazard. Examples
include rubber gloves, utility gloves, safety glasses, face masks, raincoats, shoe coverings and respirators.
CONTAMINATED:
• the presence or reasonably anticipated presence of bio-hazards on an item.
ENGINEERING CONTROLS:
• practices that isolate or remove blood-borne pathogen hazards
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EXPOSURE:
• a specific eye, mouth, other mucous membrane, non-intact skin or parenteral contact with a bio-hazard.
MUCOUS MEMBRANE:
• a moist layer of tissue that lines the mouth, eyes, nose, vagina, anus and urethra.
PARENTERAL:
• piercing of mucous membranes or the skin by needles, human bites, cuts or abrasions.
SOURCE INDIVIDUAL:
• any individual, living or dead, whose blood or other potentially infectious material may be a source of
exposure to the employee.
UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS:
• treating all human blood and human body fluids as if known to be infected with bloodborne pathogens.
WORK PRACTICE CONTROLS:
• Practices which reduce the likelihood of exposure by altering the manner in which a task is performed.
C. Procedures
1. Responsibilities
a. Supervisors, Commanders and the Chief are responsible for ensuring exposure procedures are
followed and for providing the necessary supplies.
b. All employees are responsible for:
a. knowing which tasks they perform that may have an increased risk for exposure;
b. complying with the blood-borne pathogens training requirements; and
c. conducting duties in accordance with universal precautions, engineering controls and work
practice controls.
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2. Exposure Determination
a. All CPD officers will be considered as having the potential for exposure to blood-borne pathogens and
will receive the training described in this directive.
b. Examples of tasks and procedures which may cause an employee to experience an exposure are listed
below. Any patient care, clean-up activities and law enforcement activities not addressed below will
require appropriate precautions. Exposure determination is made without regard to BPPE.
 Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation
 Mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-nose resuscitation
 First-response to fire and emergency medical care
 Handling of deceased persons and/or property of the same
 Searches and evidence collection (knives, guns, clothing, etc.)
 Handling of contaminated evidence
 Handling of contaminated waste
 Contact with blood or blood-contaminated body fluids
 Crime scene activities
 Control of unpredictable or violent persons
 Responding to fights and assaults
 Activities where airborne particles of dried blood are present
 Attending autopsies
 Conducting body cavity searches
 Handling and cleaning of contaminated equipment, vehicles or aircraft
 Fingerprinting suspects
 Hand cuffing or the use of flex cuffs, restraint rope or leg irons
 Conducting post-crash vehicle inspections, especially when entering the vehicle, driver
or passenger compartment.
 Receiving or handling medical devices, monitors, stretchers, suction devices and any other
equipment in need of repair or disposal which could potentially be contaminated.
 Fire safety inspection of sites where a potential exposure exists from occupants or
operational processes.
3. Exposure Procedures
a. When an employee suffers an exposure, the employee will:
(1) notify a supervisor;
(2) wash the affected area immediately;
(3) report to a local emergency room for evaluation and treatment within two hours; and
(4) obtain a Workers Compensation Claim Number for billing.
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b. The following forms, if applicable, will be promptly completed following an exposure:
(1) Blood-borne Pathogens Exposure Report.
(2) Blood-borne Pathogen Consent/Decline Record.
(3) Post-Exposure Evaluation.
(4) Medication/Exposure Report.
(5) Employee’s Report of Injury.
(6) Accident Witness Statement.
c. The employee’s supervisor or the Chief will be responsible for:
(1) reviewing the above forms and forwarding them as appropriate;
(2) investigating the incident;
(3) ensuring the incident is reported to Workers Comp.;
(4) ensuring the health care professional responsible for the treatment of the employee completes
the appropriate sections of the above forms; and
(5) providing the health care professional the employee’s medical records, if available.
4. Blood Testing
a. In accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations, if an exposure involves another person, the
source individual's blood will be tested in order to determine infectivity as soon as feasible, but only
after consent from the source individual is obtained.
(1) If the source individual is already known to be infected, testing need not be repeated.
(2) A Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) Form 4667, Informed Consent and
Agreement to HIV Testing, will be used to document the consent.
(3) If the source individual does not consent to testing, the declination will be documented on the
Form 136 and the supervisor will seek advice from the local state’s attorney’s office or the Office
of Legal Counsel. Under certain circumstances, consent may not be required or a court order may
need to be obtained for a blood sample.
(4) The results will be made available to the exposed employee; however, employees will not release
medical information to unauthorized persons.
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5. Blood-borne Pathogen Protective Equipment
a. BPPE will be worn by employees whenever an exposure is anticipated.
b. The type of BPPE to be worn will be selected based on the task; at a minimum, gloves and a mask will
be worn.
c. All BPPE must be removed prior to leaving the work area or incident.
d. Reusable BPPE will be cleaned and decontaminated after use. Single-use BPPE will be disposed of.
e. BPPE will be inspected monthly and repaired or replaced as needed.
f. Employees must immediately wash hands after removal of gloves or other BPPE.
6. Labeling Bio-Hazards
a. Universal bio-hazard labels will be affixed to the following items:
(1) Containers, refrigerators or freezers that hold any bio-hazard.
(2) Sharps disposal containers.
(3) Contaminated equipment.
b. Red bags need not be labeled.
7. Handling and Disposal of Bio-Hazards
a. Prior to handling contaminated or potentially contaminated items, use BPPE.
b. Isolate, package and label such items as a bio-hazard prior to transport or storage.
c. Items will be placed into an appropriate container or red bag. Bags must be tied or sealed.
d. Contaminated needles and other sharps will not be bent, recapped, sheared or broken. They will be
placed in container that is leak-proof, puncture resistant and labeled as bio-hazard. Sharps containers
will be routinely replaced and not allowed to overflow.
e. Liquids or semi-liquid bio-hazards will also be placed into a container as described above. If leaks
occur, place into a second container which will be appropriately labeled.
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f. Disposal of bio-hazards will be coordinated through the area hospitals or a local EMS/Fire agency.
8. Cleaning and Decontamination
a. Equipment, surfaces and protective coverings will be decontaminated or replaced after contact with
bio-hazards. Trash containers and other receptacles will be cleaned and decontaminated if visibly
contaminated.
b. Clothing will be removed as soon as possible and placed into a biohazard bag or container.
c. Shoes may be decontaminated with cleaners and disinfectants. Decontamination should also be
considered for areas where bio-hazards may have been tracked.
d. Contaminated clothing should not be washed in home washing machines; however, dry cleaning is an
acceptable method of decontamination. If taken to a dry cleaner, the establishment will be informed
that the garment has been contaminated.
e. Equipment, other than clothing, may be decontaminated with hot water and soap/detergent. A 10%
bleach solution may be used; however, it may corrode metal or damage equipment. Clean electrical
equipment in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
f. Surfaces such as floors, walls, holding cells, seats, etc. will be decontaminated as follows:
(1) Restrict the area immediately.
(2) Collect any broken glass and other sharp objects using a dust pan and tongs; place the glass or
sharps in puncture resistant container.
(3) Absorb spills with material such as paper towels and place into biohazard bag.
(4) Once all spilled material has been absorbed, pour a freshly prepared 10% bleach solution over the
area. Wipe the area with absorbent material and place into a biohazard bag. Allow the area to air
dry and repeat as necessary.
g. Decontaminate evidence and equipment prior to handling or shipping. Items that cannot be fully
decontaminated will be packaged and labeled appropriately. Information regarding the contamination
will be conveyed to all affected employees and outside representatives prior to transporting or
shipping.
h. Should CPD issued items become grossly contaminated, a Equipment Loss/Damage Report, must be
completed. The item(s) will be placed into a biohazard bag and subsequently disposed of.
9. Training
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a. New employees who have a potential for exposure will be provided training prior to their initial
assignment regarding tasks where exposure may take place and annually thereafter.
b. Training will cover the methods of compliance including engineering controls, work practices, personal
protective equipment and the Blood-borne Pathogens Standard as mandated by the Code of Federal
Regulations.
c. Training records will be maintained for three years and will contain the names of the employees
involved, the dates of training sessions and the training curriculum.
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