Universal and Standard Precautions

Question 1

What are the Standard Precautions in the workplace?

Answer 1

1. Hand Hygiene
2. Use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)- Gloves, gowns, mask, eye protection, face shield

Question 2

What is the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standard in the workplace?

Answer 2

• Laws that protect healthcare workers and patients
• How to dispose of potentially infectious waste such as:
  1. Blood products, body fluids, and human tissues
  2. Cultures
  3. Vaccines
  4. Supplies containing body fluids, used sharps
  5. Used gloves and other disposable supplies

Question 3

What are some tools used to protect against needlestick injuries?

Answer 3

• Safety-enngineering devices:
  1. Self-sheating needles
  2. Retractable needle/capillary puncture device
• Self-blunting/blunt tip blood drawing needle
• Re-sheathing scalpel

Question 4

OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard ensures safety by what controls?

Answer 4

• Mandates the use of engineerinf controls for handling used needles, lancets, and other sharps
• Never recap, reuse, or bend used needles even for the same patient
• Dispose of used needles. lancets and other sharps into a designated OSHA approved, puncture proof, leak proof sharps container as soon as possible
• Keep sharps container upright and do not fill them past the designated line on the container (typically no more than 3/4 full)
• Never reach into or empty a sharps container
• DIspose of used strips, plastic blood tubes, gauzes and any other non-sharp items that are heavily contaminated with blood into a biohazard bag
• Do not place any item in a bio hazard bad that can cause rips or tears

Question 5

What must employers do according to the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard?

Answer 5

Employers must:
* Develop an OSHA Exposure Control Plan
1. Emergency procedures
2. Outline what to do if exposure occurs
3. Log exposure incidents

• Provide training to all employees and document training
• Provide PPE, follow universal precautions, put in place engineering controls
• Prove the Hepatitis B vaccine at no cost
• Follow the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act-involves the evaluation of engineering safety devices, detalied logs of sharp injuries and work practice controls

Question 6

What are some employee recommendations from the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standard?

Answer 6

• Avoid using needles without safety devices
• Do not recap needles
• Dispose of sharp correctly
• Report injuried and hazards
• Participate in training