Keeping work areas in a clean and sanitary condition reduces employees'

risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Each year about 8,700 health

care workers are infected with hepatitis B virus, and 200 die from

contracting hepatitis B through their work. The chance of contracting

human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the bloodborne pathogen which

causes AIDS, from occupational exposure is small, yet a good

housekeeping program can minimize this risk as well.

DECONTAMINATION

Every employer whose employees are exposed to blood or other potentially

infectious materials must develop a written schedule for cleaning each

area where exposures occur. The methods of

decontaminating different surfaces must be specified, determined by the

type of surface to be cleaned, the soil present and the tasks or procedures

that occur in that area.

For example, different cleaning and decontamination measures would be

used for a surgical operatory and a patient room. Similarly, hard surfaced

flooring and carpeting require separate cleaning methods. More extensive

efforts will be necessary for gross contamination than for minor spattering. 

Likewise, such varied tasks as laboratory analyses and normal patient care

would require different techniques for clean-up.

Employees must decontaminate working surfaces and equipment with an

appropriate disinfectant after completing procedures involving exposure to

blood. Many laboratory procedures are performed on a continual basis

throughout a shift. Except as discussed below, it is not necessary to clean

and decontaminate between procedures. However, if the employee leaves

the area for a period of time, for a break or lunch, then contaminated work

surfaces must be cleaned.

Employees also must clean (1) when surfaces become obviously

contaminated; (2) after any spill of blood or other potentially infectious

materials; and (3) at the end of the work shift if contamination might have

occurred. Thus, employees need not decontaminate the work area after

each patient care procedure, but only after those that actually result in

contamination.

If surfaces or equipment are draped with protective coverings such as

plastic wrap or aluminum foil, these coverings should be removed or

replaced if they become obviously contaminated. Reusable receptacles

such as bins, pails and cans that are likely to become contaminated must

be inspected and decontaminated on a regular basis. If contamination is

visible, workers must clean and decontaminate the item immediately, or

as soon as feasible.

Should glassware that may be potentially contaminated break, workers

need to use mechanical means such as a brush and dustpan or tongs or

forceps to pick up the broken glass--never by hand, even when wearing

gloves.

Before any equipment is serviced or shipped for repairing or cleaning, it

must be decontaminated to the extent possible. The equipment must be

labeled, indicating which portions are still contaminated. This enables

employees and those who service the equipment to take appropriate

precautions to prevent exposure.

REGULATED WASTE

In addition to effective decontamination of work areas, proper handling of

regulated waste is essential to prevent unnecessary exposure to blood and

other potentially infectious materials. Regulated waste must be handled

with great care --i.e., liquid or semi liquid blood and other potentially

infectious materials, items caked with these materials, items that would

release blood or other potentially infected materials if compressed,

pathological or microbiological wastes containing them and contaminated

sharps.

Containers used to store regulated waste must be closable and suitable to

contain the contents and prevent leakage of fluids. Containers designed

for sharps also must be puncture resistant. They must be labeled or colorcoded to ensure that employees are aware of the potential hazards. Such

containers must be closed before removal to prevent the contents from

spilling. If the outside of a container becomes contaminated, it must be

placed within a second suitable container.

Regulated waste must be disposed of in accordance with applicable state

and local laws.

LAUNDRY

Laundry workers must wear gloves and handle contaminated laundry as

little as possible, with a minimum of agitation. Contaminated laundry

should be bagged or placed in containers at the location where it is used,

but not sorted or rinsed there.

Laundry must be transported within the establishment or to outside

laundries in labeled or red color-coded bags. If the facility uses Universal

Precautions for handling all soiled laundry, then alternate labeling or

color coding that can be recognized by the employees may be used. If 

laundry is wet and it might soak through laundry bags, then workers

must use bags that prevent leakage to transport it.

RESEARCH FACILITIES

More stringent decontamination requirements apply to research

laboratories and production facilities that work with concentrated strains

of HIV and HBV.

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This is one of a series of fact sheets that discusses various requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Adninistration's standard covering exposure to

bloodborne pathogens. Single copies of fact sheets are available from OSHA Publications, Room N-3101, 20O Constitution Avenue,N.W., Washington, DC 20210 and
from OSHA regional oflices.