General guidelines which shall be used by everyone include:
(A) Notify the immediate supervisor and the personnel department of the contact incident and details thereof and seek immediate medical attention;
(B) Keep all open cuts and abrasions covered with adhesive bandages which repel liquids;
(C) Soap and water kill many bacteria and viruses on contact. If hands are contaminated with blood or other potentially infectious materials to which universal precautions apply, wash immediately and thoroughly. Hands shall also be washed after gloves are removed even if the gloves appear to be intact. When soap and water or hand washing facilities are not available, use a waterless antiseptic hand cleaner according to the manufacturer's recommendation for the product;
(D) All workers shall take precautions to prevent injuries caused by needles, scalpel blades and other sharp instruments. To prevent needle stick injuries, needles shall not be recapped, purposely bent or broken by hand, removed from disposable syringes, or otherwise manipulated by hand. After they are used, disposable syringes and needles, scalpel blades and other sharp items shall be placed in puncture resistant containers for disposal. The puncture resistant container shall be located as close as practical to the use area;
(E) (1) The city will provide gloves of appropriate material, quality and size for each affected employee. The gloves are to be worn when there is contact (or when there is a potential contact) with blood or other potentially infectious materials to which universal precautions apply:
(a) While handling an individual where exposure is possible;
(b) While cleaning or handling contaminated items or equipment; and
(c) While cleaning up an area that has been contaminated with one of the above.
(2) Gloves shall not be used if they are peeling, cracked or discolored, or if they have punctures, tears or other evidence of deterioration. Employee shall not wash or disinfect surgical or examination gloves for reuse.
(F) Resuscitation equipment shall be used when necessary. (No transmission of HBV or HIV infection during mouth-to-mouth resuscitation has been documented.) Because of the risk of salivary transmission of other infectious diseases and the theoretical risk of HIV or HBV transmission during artificial resuscitation, bags shall be used. Pocket mouth-to-mouth resuscitation masks designed to isolate emergency response personnel from contact with a victims' blood and blood contaminated saliva, respiratory secretion and vomitus, are available to all personnel who provide or potentially provide emergency treatment;
(G) Masks or protective eyewear or face shields shall be worn during procedures that are likely to generate droplets of blood or other potentially infectious materials to prevent exposure to mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and eyes. They are not required for routine care;
(H) Gowns, aprons or lab coats shall be worn during procedures that are likely to generate splashes of blood or other potentially infectious materials;
(I) Areas and equipment contaminated with blood shall be cleaned as soon as possible. A household (chlorine) bleach solution (one part chlorine to ten parts water) shall be applied to the contaminated surface as a disinfectant leaving it on for at least 30 seconds. A solution must be changed and remixed every 24 hours to be effective;
(J) Contaminated clothing (or other articles) shall be handled carefully and washed as soon as possible. Laundry and dish washing cycles at 120° F. are adequate for decontamination;
(K) Place all disposable equipment (gloves, masks, gowns and the like) in a clearly marked plastic bag. Place the bag in a second clearly marked bag (double bag). Seal and dispose of by placing in a designated "hazardous" dumpster. NOTE: Sharp objects must be placed in an impervious container and properly disposed;
(L) Tags shall be used as a means of preventing accidental injury or illness to employees who are exposed to hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions, equipment or operations which are out of the ordinary, unexpected or not readily apparent. Tags shall be used until a time as the identified hazard is eliminated or the hazardous operation is completed. All required tags shall meet the following criteria.
(1) Tags shall contain a signal word and a major message. The signal word shall be "BIOHAZARD", or the biological hazard symbol. The major message shall indicate the specific hazardous condition or the instruction to be communicated to employees.
(2) The signal word shall be readable at a minimum distance of five feet or a greater distance as warranted by the hazard.
(3) All employees shall be informed of the meaning of the various tags used throughout the workplace and what special precautions are necessary.
(M) Linen soiled with blood or other potentially infectious materials shall be handled as little as possible and with minimum agitation to prevent contamination of the person handling the line. All soiled linen shall be bagged at the location where it was used. It shall not be sorted or rinsed in the area. Soiled linen shall be placed and transported in bags that prevent leakage. The employee responsible for transporting soiled linen should always wear protective gloves to prevent possible contamination. After removing the gloves, hands or other skin surfaces shall be washed thoroughly and immediately after contact with potentially infectious materials; and
(N) Whenever possible, disposable equipment shall be used to minimize and contain clean-up.
(1989 Code, § 4-506)