Healthcare workers and other people who work with blood and human body fluids are always at a great risk of contracting deadly diseases like Hepatitis B and C and HIV through exposure from infected blood. It is, therefore, important for such staff to be trained to handle blood samples and fluids with great care to keep their lives out of danger.
Blood Borne pathogen training helps educate healthcare staff in hospitals, medical centers, paramedics, laboratories etc to do their job carefully. Listed below is a framework of the training program.
• The Prevention System: Workers associated with the healthcare sector and related fields are required to be vaccinated. The most important vaccines would be three shots of Hepatitis B given over specified intervals to maximize the body's immunity. Unfortunately, Hepatitis C and HIV still don't have vaccines. Therefore, utmost care has to be taken because such diseases are deadly with no precautionary medicines and are also not curable.
• The Engineering System: Medical waste disposal can be a major health problem if not done in an effective and proper manner. Special care has to be taken when the waste to be disposed off is caked with blood, dried blood or other body fluid. Medical waste is required to be segregated and packed in respective containers, labeled with warnings and then disposed off.
• The Workplace System: Healthcare workers should be trained to take care of themselves during work and to handle special situations. Sometimes, there are situations which demand the services of healthcare workers in very unhygienic environments like accidents, first aid services, spillage of body fluids and laboratory mishaps. The services of workers who have been fully trained under Blood Borne pathogen training should be employed in such cases. Wearing protective gear is mandatory. Exposed body parts should be washed immediately and the area should be disinfected. While working in such situations, minimum mess must be created. When in doubt of exposure, the healthcare worker should not drink, eat or perform any activity that may require touching his own sensitive body parts.
• Protective Gear: Proper protective gear has to worn every time healthcare workers are in an exposed environment. Latex gloves, shields for the face, protective goggles and aprons should be worn before handling blood and body fluid related situations. Before wearing the gloves, hands should be properly bandaged in case of any cuts. Proper protocol should be followed while handling the gear.
• Steps upon exposure: Upon contact with body fluids of an infected person, immediate action must be taken. The affected areas must be washed immediately, with running water, and scrubbed with antibacterial solutions. The contaminated area is required to be cleaned with Clorox and the used scrubs, cloves and other disposables used must be packed, labeled and disposed off.
It is very essential for rescue staff and support staff to be completely trained on the prevention of Blood Borne pathogens. Healthy bodies can also be infected if proper precautions are not taken. Therefore, minimum required training should be provided to all to help save lives and reduce the risk of infections.
For more information please visit our Bloodborne Pathogen Training and First Aid Training web pages.
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