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In accordance with the OSHA Blood-borne Pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030 (the “standard”), the following plan has been developed and adopted by McPherson College.

This plan has been created to give quick and easy guidance to McPherson College employees and supervisory personnel. In the event that this Plan fails to address, or is in conflict with, any portion of 29 C.F.R. 1910.1030, as it now exists or may hereafter be amended, or any other regulations or law, the provisions of such regulation or law shall control. Supervisory personnel shall be familiar with the contents of 29 C.F.R. 1910.1030 and shall be guided by them. The College shall comply with all applicable statutes and regulations, including without limitation 29 C.F.R. 1910.1030. A copy of 29 C.F.R. 1910.1039 shall be provided without charge to any employee upon request. Supervisors shall be familiar with this regulation’s contents.

Purpose

This plan’s purpose is to eliminate and/or minimize employee occupational exposure to blood and other potentially infectious body fluids, and to state a plan of action for response to any occupational exposure that may occur.

Exposure Determination

OSHA requires employers to perform an exposure determination in order to learn which employees may be at risk to suffer occupational exposure to human blood or other potentially infectious materials. Occupational exposure is a reasonably anticipated skin, eye, mucous membrane, or parenteral (puncture or cut) contact with blood or other potential infectious materials that may result from the performance of the employees duties. The likelihood of occupational exposure of an employee in a given job is to be determined without regard to whether or not personal protective equipment used.

McPherson College has performed an exposure determination to learn which employees may be at risk to incur occupational exposure to human blood, human body fluids, or other infectious materials. The following employees have been determined to be in this category:

  1. Designated first aid providers
  2. Coaching Staff and Athletic Trainers
  3. Departmental Lab Professors (Chemistry, Biology, Art, Auto-Restoration, Technology, and Theatre)
  4. All Plant Operations personnel

Implementation Schedule and Methodology:

OSHA also requires that this plan include a schedule and method of implementation for the various requirements of the standard. The following addresses this requirement:

Compliance Methods

Employees at McPherson College that are at risk for occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogen in the work place (see jobs listed above) shall be subject to the following standards:

Universal precautions will be observed at McPherson College in order to prevent contact with human blood and other potentially infectious materials. This means that employees must treat all human blood and other potential infectious materials as if they are known to be contagious, and must use personal protective equipment (PPE) in all situations in which such materials are present.

Engineering and work practice controls will be utilized to eliminate or minimize exposure of employees at McPherson College to potentially infectious materials. Where occupational exposure remains a danger after institution of these controls, personal protective equipment shall also be utilized.

At McPherson College the following engineering controls will be utilized:

  1. All sharps (objects that could cut or puncture skin or membranes) will be placed in the specified container for sharp These containers will be examined and maintained or replaced on a regular schedule. Reusable sharps that are contaminated with human blood or other potentially infectious materials (contaminated sharps) shall not be stored or processed in a manner that requires employees to reach by hand into the containers where these sharps have been placed.
  2. Broken glassware that may be contaminated with human blood or other potentially infectious materials shall not be picked up directly with the hand It shall be removed using mechanical means, such as a brush and dustpan, tongs, or forceps and placed in the specified container for sharps. Receptacles for broken glass shall be brought to the contaminated area to eliminate transporting of broken glass outside such receptacles.
  3. All contaminated materials will be placed in bags or containers that have the universal biohazard symbol placed on them or that are the color red.
  4. In order to avoid being injured by sharps, custodians will pick up plastic waste sacks only by the top.
  5. All spills of blood and other potentially infectious material will be cleaned up/decontaminated immediately using a disinfecting bleach solution (described below) or an EPA approved germicid Those cleaning up spills shall use universal precautions and personal protective equipment.

Labels and Signs

McPherson College will ensure that biohazard labels are affixed to containers used to store, transport, or ship potentially infectious materials. The universal biohazard symbol shall be used. The label shall be fluorescent orange, orange-red, or red. Labels shall be affixed so as to prevent accidental removal. In lieu of biohazard labels, red bags or red containers may be used.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

The College administration shall insure the following standards are met:

  1. All personal protective equipment will be provided without cost to the employee.
  2. Personal protective equipment shall be chosen based on anticipated exposure to blood or other potentially infectious material, and placed in the appropriate locations where anticipated risk of occupational exposure is high
  3. One time use gloves will be provided at first aid stations in appropriate sizes and must be used when the employee is rendering first aid or is in contact with blood, body fluids, or other infectious materials.
  4. Face shields and/or goggles will be provided at each location in which employees at high risk of exposure work (i. those employees listed under Exposure Determination).
  5. Readily accessible hand washing facilities will be available to all employee
  6. Restrooms shall be equipped with an adequate supply of hot and cold running water and single- use towel After a restroom is used for cleanup of blood or other potentially infectious materials (whether after an injury or otherwise) all exposed surfaces shall be immediately decontaminated.

In the event of an exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials the employee will wash the affected skin with soap and running water. If eyes or mucous membranes are affected, the employee shall flush with running water. The exposed employee will contact and inform his/her supervisor of the exposure as soon as possible, and in no event shall the employee leave work without reporting the incident (unless emergency medical treatment requires this.)

If human blood or other potentially infectious materials penetrate a garment, the garment shall be removed as soon as possible, preferably immediately. All personal protective equipment will be removed prior to leaving the work area.

If personal protective equipment is used, the person using the equipment will wash his/her hands and other potentially affected body areas with soap and water immediately following removal of the equipment.

All personal protective equipment will be cleaned, laundered, repaired, replaced, and/or disposed of by the College at no cost to employees.

Disposable gloves used at McPherson College are not to be washed or decontaminated for re-use and are to be replaced as soon as practical when they become contaminated, torn, or punctured, or when their ability to function as a barrier is compromised. Utility gloves will be discarded if they are cracked, peeling, torn, or punctured, or exhibit other signs of deterioration, or when their ability to function as a barrier is otherwise compromised.

Gloves shall be worn where it is reasonably anticipated that employees will have hand contact with blood, other potentially infectious materials, non-intact skin, or mucous membranes. Gloves will be available in all first aid locations.

Masks in combination with eye protection devices, such as goggles or glasses with solid side shields, or chin length face shields, are required to be worn whenever splashes, spray, splatter, or droplets of blood or other potentially infectious materials may be generated and eye, nose, or mouth contamination there-from can reasonably be anticipated.

Other protective clothing is to be used when appropriate, such as lab coats, gowns, aprons, clinic jackets, or similar outer garments.

Decontamination

All contaminated surfaces and/or work areas will be decontaminated (with a solution of one part chlorine bleach to 10 parts water) as soon as possible after completion of any emergency medical treatment if any spill of blood occurs, or whenever blood, body fluids, or potentially infectious materials have touched work surfaces or work areas. Decontamination will be accomplished using germicide (i.e.chlorine bleach solution described above) provided for this purpose at each location stated above. Any objects used to pick up contaminated materials will also be decontaminated using the above procedure. As an alternative, decontamination may be accomplished by use of an IEPA-approved germicide in the correct strength and in the prescribed manner.

Regulated Waste Disposal

All contaminated sharps shall be discarded as soon as possible in sharps containers that are located in the facility. Sharps containers are located in the nurse’s office, all lab classrooms, the athletic training room, and in maintenance.

Needles

Contaminated needles and other contaminated sharps will not be bent, recapped, removed, sheared or purposely broken. (OSHA allows an exception to this if the medical procedure performed requires that the contaminated needle be recapped or removed and no alternative is feasible. If such action is required, then the recapping or removal of the needle must be done by the use of a mechanical device or a one-handed technique.)

Containers for Reusable Sharps

Sharps that are reusable are to be placed as soon as possible after use, preferably immediately, into appropriate containers for reusable sharps. At McPherson College such sharps containers are puncture resistant, are labeled with a conspicuous biohazard label or are the color red, and are leak proof.

Work Area Restrictions

In work areas where there is a reasonable likelihood of exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials, employees are not to eat, drink, apply cosmetics or lip balm, smoke, or handle contact lenses. Food and beverages are not to be kept in refrigerators, freezers, shelves, cabinets, or on counter tops or bench tops where blood or other potentially infectious materials are present or likely to be present.

Specimens

Specimens of human blood or other potentially infectious materials will not be collected at McPherson College.

Laundry Procedures

Laundry contaminated with blood or other potentially infectious materials will be handled as little as possible. Such laundry will be placed in appropriately marked bags that have a conspicuous universal biohazard warning label or are the color red, at the location where it was used. Such laundry will not be sorted or rinsed in the area of use.

All employees who handle contaminated laundry will utilize personal protective equipment to prevent contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials.

Hepatitis-B Vaccine

Those employees at risk for occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials (those listed in Exposure Determination above) will be offered the Hepatitis-B vaccination series at no charge. If the U.S. Public Health Service later recommends booster doses, they will be offered at no charge as well.

Hepatitis B vaccination is a noninfectious yeast-based vaccine given in 3 injections in the arm. The second injection is given one month after the first, and the third injection is given six months after the initial dose. The vaccination is prepared from yeast cultures, rather than human blood or plasma. Thus, there is no risk of contamination from other blood-borne pathogens, nor is there any chance of developing hepatitis B from the vaccine. The vaccine does not harm those who are already immune or who may be hepatitis B carriers. It is not clear how long immunity lasts, so booster shots may be required.

Employees must sign a federally-approved declination form (as provided for by 29/C.F.R.1910.1030) if they are eligible for the vaccine, but choose not to receive it. At any time after declining the vaccine, the employee may opt to receive the vaccine at no cost. McPherson County Health Department will administer the vaccine.

Post Exposure and Follow-Up

Following a report of an incident of on-the-job exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials, McPherson College shall make immediately available to the exposed employee a confidential medical evaluation and follow up, including at least the following elements:

  1. Documentation of the route(s) of exposure, and the circumstances under which the exposure incident occurred.
  2. Identification and documentation of the source individual, unless McPherson College can establish that identification is infeasible or prohibited by state or local law.
  3. The source individual’s blood shall be tested as soon as possible and after consent is obtained in order to determine HBV and HIV infectivity. If consent is not obtained McPherson College shall establish that the legally required consent cannot be obtained. When the source individual’s consent is not required by law, the source individual’s blood, if available, shall be tested and the results documented. To the extent permitted by law, results of the source individual’s testing shall be made available to the exposed employee, and the employee shall be informed of applicable laws and regulations concerning disclosure of the identity and infectious status of the source individual. If the source individual is already known to be infected with HBV or HIV, repeat testing is unnecessary.
  4. Collection and testing of blood for HBV and HIV serological status will comply with the following standards:
    (1) the exposed employee’s blood shall be collected as soon as feasible and tested after consent is obtained.
    (2) If the employee consents to baseline blood collection, but does not give consent at that time for HIV serologic testing, the sample shall be preserved for at least 90 days. If, within 90 days of the exposure incident, the employee elects to have the baseline sample tested, such testing shall be done as soon as feasible.
  5. Post-exposure prophylaxis, when medically indicated, as recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service.
  6. Counseling, to the extent required by applicable statutes and regulations.
  7. Evaluation of reported illnesses, to the extent required by applicable statutes and regulation

Information Provided to the Healthcare Professional

McPherson College shall ensure that the healthcare professional responsible for the employee’s Hepatitis B vaccination is provided with a copy of 29 C.F. R. 1910.1030 (as amended or superseded.)

McPherson College shall ensure that the healthcare professional evaluating the employee after an exposure is provided the following information:

  1. A description of the exposed employee’s duties as they relate to the exposure incident.
  2. Documentation of the route(s) of exposure and circumstances under which exposure occurr
  3. Results of the source individual’s blood testing, if available; and all medical records relevant to the appropriate treatment of the employee, including vaccination status, that are the employers responsibility to maintain.
  4. A copy of Federal Regulation 29 F.R. 1910.1030 concerning blood-borne pathogens.

Healthcare Professional’s Written Opinion

  1. McPherson College shall obtain and provide the exposed employee with a copy of the evaluating healthcare professional’s written opinion within fifteen (15) days of the completion of the evaluation.
  2. The healthcare professional’s written opinion for Hepatitis B vaccination shall be limited to whether Hepatitis B vaccination is indicated for an employee, and whether the employee has received such vaccination.
    The healthcare professional’s written opinion for post-exposure evaluation and follow-up shall be limited to the following information:

    1. A statement that the employee has been informed of the results of the evaluation.
    2. A statement that the employee has been told about any medical conditions resulting from exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials that require further evaluation or treatment.

All other findings or diagnoses shall remain confidential and shall not be included in the report.

Information and Training

McPherson College will ensure that training is provided (a) at the time of initial assignment to employees who perform tasks in which occupational exposure may occur (those employees listed in Exposure Determination, above), (b) within ninety (90) days after the effective date of any new policy provisions or legal standards, and (c) at least every twelve (12) months thereafter. Training shall be tailored to the education, literary and language level of the employee, and offered during the employee’s regular working hours. Training shall be appropriate for the nature of the trainee’s job and of the trainees possible exposure. The training will be interactive and will cover (but is not limited to) the following:

  1. An accessible copy of the regulatory text of the pertinent portions of the Code of Federal Regulations and an explanation of its conten
  2. A general discussion of the epidemiology and symptoms of blood-borne disease
  3. An explanation of the modes of transmission of blood-borne pathog
  4. An explanation of McPherson College Blood-borne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan, and a method for obtaining a copy.
  5. An explanation of how to recognize tasks and other activities that may involve the risk of exposur
  6. Information on the appropriate actions to take and persons to contact in an emergency involving blood or other potentially infectious material
  7. An explanation of the procedures to follow if an exposure incident occurs, including the method of reporting and medical follow-up that will be made availab
  8. Information on the evaluation and follow-up required of McPherson College after an employee exposure incid
  9. Explanations of required signs, labels, and color-coding system
  10. An opportunity for interactive questions and answers with the person conducting the training session.

The person conducting the training shall be knowledgeable in the subject matter covered by the elements contained in the training program as it relates to the workplace that the training addresses.

Employees who have received training on blood-borne pathogens in the twelve months preceding the effective date of this policy shall receive training in any provisions of the policy that were not covered.

Additional training shall be provided to employees when there are any changes of tasks or procedures affecting the employee’s risk of exposure to infectious materials.

Medical Records

McPherson College shall establish an accurate record for each employee with occupational exposure as required by 29 C.F.R. 1910.30 and/or other applicable statutes or regulations. These records shall be kept confidential, and will be maintained for at least the duration of employment plus thirty (30) years. The records shall include the following:

  1. The name and social security number of the employee.
  2. A copy of the employee’s Hepatitis B vaccination status including the dates of all the Hepatitis B vaccinations and any medical records relative to the employees ability to receive vaccination, as required by applicable federal regulations.
  3. A copy of all results of legally required examinations, medical testing, and follow-up procedures.
  4. McPherson Colleges copy of the healthcare professional’s written opinion, as required under this policy.
  5. A copy of the information McPherson College provides to the health care professional in the event of an exposure, including without limitation a description of the employee’s duties as they relate to the exposure incident and documentation of the routes of exposure and circumstances of the exposure.
  6. An explanation of the use and limitation of methods to prevent or reduce the risk of exposure, including appropriate engineering controls, work practices, and personal protective equipment.
  7. Information on the types, proper use, location, removal, handling, decontamination, and disposal of personal protective equipm
  8. An explanation of the basis for selection of personal protective equipm
  9. Information on the Hepatitis B vaccination, including information on its efficacy, safety, and method of administration, the benefits of being vaccinated, and the fact that the vaccine and vaccination are offered free of charge.

Sharps Injury Log

McPherson College shall establish an accurate record for each injury with occupational exposure involving a sharp as required by 29 C.F.R. 1910.30 and/or other applicable statutes or regulations. These records shall be kept confidential. The records shall include the following:

  1. Type and brand of device involved.
  2. Department or area of incident.
  3. Description of incident.

Training Records

McPherson College is responsible for maintaining the training records of employees listed above under Exposure Determination.

Training records shall be maintained for three years from the date of training or such period of time as may be required by law. The following information shall be documented:

  1. The dates of the training sessions.
  2. The contents of a summary of the training session

The names and qualifications of persons conducting the training.

The names and job titles of all persons attending the training session.

Availability

Employee training records required to be kept under this policy shall be provided upon request for examination and copying to the employee, to anyone having written consent of the employee, to the Director, and to the Assistant Secretary in accordance with 29 C.F.R. 1910.20 (as it now exists or may be hereafter amended or superseded.)

Transfer of Records

McPherson College shall comply with the requirements involving transfer of records set forth in 29 C.F.R. 1910.20 (h) as it may hereafter be amended or superseded.

If McPherson College ceases to do business and there is no successor employer to receive and retain the records for the prescribed period, McPherson College shall notify the Director at least three (3) months prior to their disposal, and shall transmit them to the Director, if required by the Director, within that three (3) month period.

Evaluation and Review

The Safety Committee is responsible for reviewing and updating this program and its effectiveness periodically, and whenever necessary to reflect new of modified tasks and procedures that affect occupational exposure or to reflect new or revised employee positions with the risk of occupational exposure.