Washington Administrative Code › Title 296 - Labor and Industries, Department of › Chapter 296-305 - Safety standards for firefighters › Section 296-305-02501 - Emergency medical protection

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
(1) Firefighters who perform emergency
			 medical care or otherwise may be exposed to blood or other body fluids must be
			 provided with emergency medical face protection devices, and emergency medical
			 garments that meet the applicable requirements of the 1999 edition of NFPA
			 1999, Standard on Protective Clothing for Emergency Medical Operations.
Note:
Prior to purchase, fire departments should request
							 the technical data package required in the 2003 edition of NAPA 1999, in order
							 to compare glove and garment performance data. Departments reviewing these
							 packages should ensure a relative ranking of the performance data before they
							 purchase in order to provide the best performance of the EMS personal
							 protective clothing.
(2)
			 Firefighters must don emergency medical gloves and eye protection prior to
			 initiating any emergency patient care.
(3) Firefighters must don emergency medical
			 garments prior to any patient care during which splashes of body fluids can
			 occur such as situations involving spurting blood or childbirth.
Note:
Firefighter turnout gear and gloves with vapor
							 barriers may be used in lieu of emergency medical gloves and garments.
(4)
			 Contaminated emergency medical garments, emergency medical face and eye
			 protection, gloves, devices, and emergency medical gloves must be cleaned and
			 disinfected, or disposed of, in accordance with chapter 296-823 WAC,
			 Occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens.
(5) Fire departments must establish a
			 designated infection (exposure) control officer who must ensure that an
			 adequate infection control plan is developed and all personnel are trained and
			 supervised on the plan.
(6) The
			 infection control officer must be responsible for establishing personnel
			 exposure protocols so that a process for dealing with exposures is in writing
			 and available to all personnel.
(7)
			 The infection control officer or their designee will function as a liaison
			 between area hospitals and fire department members to provide notification that
			 a communicable disease exposure is suspected or has been determined by hospital
			 medical personnel. The department infection control officer will institute the
			 established exposure protocols immediately after report of an exposure. The
			 infection control officer must follow the confidentiality requirements of
			 chapter 246-100 WAC and the medical protocol requirements of chapter 296-802
			 WAC.
(8) Fire departments must have
			 a written infection control plan which clearly explains the intent, benefits,
			 and purpose of the plan. The written document must cover the standards of
			 exposure control such as establishing the infection control officer and all
			 members affected; education and training; documentation and record keeping;
			 cleaning/disinfection of personnel and equipment; and exposure
			 protocols.
(9) Policy statements
			 and standard operating procedure guidelines must provide general guidance and
			 specific regulation of daily activities. Procedures must include delegation of
			 specific roles and responsibilities, such as regulation of infection control,
			 as well as procedural guidelines for all required tasks and
			 functions.
(10) Fire departments
			 must establish a records system for members health and training.
(11) Firefighters must be trained in the
			 proper use of P.E., exposure protection, post exposure protocols, disease modes
			 of transmission as it related to infectious diseases.
(12) Infectious disease programs must have a
			 process for monitoring firefighters compliance with established guidelines and
			 a means for correcting noncompliance.
(13) Fire department members must be required
			 to annually review the infectious disease plan, updates, protocols, and
			 equipment used in the program.
(14)
			 Fire departments must comply with chapter 296-823 WAC, Occupational exposure to
			 bloodborne pathogens, in its entirety.
(15) Tuberculosis (TB) exposure and
			 respiratory protection requirements.
(a)
			 Firefighters must wear a particulate respirator (PR) when entering areas
			 occupied by individuals with suspected or confirmed TB, when performing high
			 risk procedures on such individuals or when transporting individuals with
			 suspected or confirmed TB in a closed vehicle.
(b) A NIOSH-approved, 95% efficient
			 particulate air respirator is the minimum acceptable level of respiratory
			 protection.
(i) Fit tests are
			 required.
(ii) Fit tests must be
			 done in accordance with chapter 296-842 WAC.
(c) Employee tuberculosis screening must be
			 provided in accordance with current U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
			 Prevention guidelines.
Note:
If possible, the rear windows of a vehicle
							 transporting patients with confirmed, suspected, or active tuberculosis should
							 be kept open, and the heater or air conditioner set on a noncirculating
							 cycle.