OSHA requires the use of a tuberculocidal disinfectant to clean up blood or body fluids. OSHA.gov | Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Response: OSHA's Bloodborne pathogens standard at 29 CFR 1910.1030 requires that items and surfaces contaminated with blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) be decontaminated with an appropriate disinfectant.
Wipe the area with water and detergent until it is visibly clean. Saturate the area again with sodium hypochlorite 0.5% (10 000 ppm available chlorine). This is a 1:10 dilution of 5.25% sodium hypochlorite bleach, which should be prepared daily. Rinse off the tongs, brush and pan, under running water and place to dry.
It is not against the law to make an employee clean it, typically though some sort of biohazard cleanup kit should be available.
Any work surface which has been contaminated by blood/OPIM will be promptly disinfected using a 1:10 – 1:100 solution of bleach (prepared daily) and/or an EPA/FDA registered sterilant.
Wash area with disposable paper towels and a solution of general purpose detergent and warm water • Dry area or allow to air dry • Discard paper towels and disposable PPE into healthcare waste bag • Perform hand hygene.
The four principles of decontamination include segregation, cleaning, disinfection, and sterilisation. Segregation involves separating contaminated items from clean ones to prevent cross-contamination. Cleaning physically removes dirt and contaminants from surfaces or objects.
More specifically, according to the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, each employer with employees who may have an occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) is responsible for eliminating or reducing the potential hazard.
A potential hazard still exists until the entire area is cleaned of blood and body fluids*, and the contaminated cleaning eqipment has been disinfected or disposed of safely. Only designated and trained individuals should clean up blood or body fluids.
Wear disposable gloves whenever providing care, particularly if you may come into contact ■ with blood or body fluids. Also wear protective coverings, such as a mask, eyewear and a gown, if blood or other body fluids can splash.
The Bloodborne Pathogen Standard:
Requires the use of Universal Precautions, an approach to infection control in which workers treat all human blood and certain human body fluids as if they are known to be infectious, to protect against pathogens.
Appropriate personal protective equipment (e.g. non-sterile disposable gloves/apron) should be worn when dealing with blood and body fluid spillages. If the spillage is extensive or splashing is likely to occur while cleaning up, additional PPE should be worn (e.g. eye and face protection).
Spots or drops of blood or other small spills (up to 10 cm) can easily be managed by wiping the area immediately with paper towels, and then cleaning with warm water and detergent, followed by rinsing and drying the area. Dry the area, as wet areas attract contaminants.
Spray the blood contaminated surfaces with a 1-10 solution of bleach and water. Absorb and remove all traces of the spill with paper towels or other acceptable materials (Micro-encapsulation absorbent). Be careful not to contaminate the outside of the spray bottle.
Liquid Blood Waste
If the amount of blood and other fluids is more than 25 milliliters, healthcare employees need to collect it and store it in leak-proof containers that are secured so they can't tip over.
At the bare minimum, PPE kits for spills should include safety gloves, safety goggles, industrial absorbents, and bags to contain the spilled materials.
In this context, when a blood or body fluid spill occurs in a health care setting, or where there is frequently a large amount of blood and body fluid contamination (for example the surgical suite), the recommended procedure is to clean the area followed by an application of a liquid chemical germicide which is ...
Employers cannot ask employees to clean up blood spills without first providing proper blood cleanup training and equipment. Blood contains dangerous pathogens, and employers are required by OSHA to provide a safe and healthy working environment.
Reply 2: With regard to the waste generated from the cleanup of blood as described in your letter, OSHA regards this as "regulated waste" under the Bloodborne Pathogens standard. [See the definition of "regulated waste" in 29 CFR 1910.1030(b).]
The OSHA standard for clean work areas requires employers to keep their workplaces clean and free of hazards that could cause harm to their employees. This includes maintaining floors, walls, and working surfaces free of debris, spills, and other hazards that could cause slip, trip, or fall accidents.
One of the important jobs of the kidneys is to clean the blood. As blood moves through the body, it picks up extra fluid, chemicals and waste. The kidneys separate this material from the blood. It's carried out of the body in urine.
Employers must make available, closable, puncture resistant, leakproof sharps containers that are appropriately labeled and color-coded. The containers must also have an opening that is large enough to accommodate disposal of the entire blood collection assembly (i.e., blood tube holder and needle).
Steam sterilisation (ie vacuum steam autoclaving), is the preferred method of sterilising equipment as it is quick, automated, easy to use, reliable, non-toxic and always effective when used correctly. It is particularly suitable for reusable, heat-stable items, so long as these parts are already physically clean.
The contamination reduction zone (or warm zone) is the transition area between the exclusion and support zones. This area is where responders enter and exit the exclusion zone and where decontamination activities take place.
First responders (wearing appropriate PPE) should be prepared to assist individuals in performing the four decontamination actions described above, depending upon the needs/condition of the survivors, including non-ambulatory and disabled individuals, the elderly, unaccompanied minors, etc.