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Importance of the Bloodborne Pathogens Course
LoreIn your job, you may come across blood or blood-containing materials. Saliva, vomit, or sneeze droplets can contain blood. Blood or blood-containing material may also be found on nonliving objects.
The Heartsaver Bloodborne Pathogens Course will teach you how to stay safe when you come in contact with another person’s blood or blood-containing materials.m ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
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What Are Bloodborne Pathogens?
Bloodborne pathogens are harmful microorganisms found in human blood that can cause serious illness.
Examples include:
Hepatitis B virus (HBV)
Hepatitis C virus (HCV)
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
These viruses are dangerous because they:
May cause no immediate symptoms, making them hard to detect.
Easily spread to others through blood or certain body fluids.
Can lead to severe illness or death if not prevented or treated.
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Needle sticks or sharps injuries (Percutaneous exposure):
Accidental punctures from needles, scalpels, or other sharp objects contaminated with blood.
Mucous membrane exposure:
Blood splashes into the eyes, nose, or mouth can allow viruses to enter.
Broken skin exposure:
Contact with blood through cuts, scrapes, rashes, or dermatitis increases the risk of infection.
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Remember: Not every exposure leads to infection, the level of risk depends on:
How much of the pathogen was present in the blood or fluid.
The type of exposure (for example, a sharps injury vs. a splash to the eye).
Your body’s natural ability to fight infection.
OSHA requires that all exposures be reported right away so employees can receive proper evaluation and any needed medical follow-up.
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Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens
Being exposed to a bloodborne pathogen does not always mean you will become ill. For illness to develop, the pathogen must actually enter your body in enough quantity to cause infection. Even then, several factors influence whether the exposure leads to disease. This is why immediate response and follow-up care are so important.
When an exposure occurs, your risk of becoming ill depends on both the nature of the exposure and your body’s defense mechanisms. For example, a needle stick that injects blood directly into the bloodstream carries more risk than a small splash on intact skin. In addition, your immune system plays a vital role in fighting off infections, and medical treatments given right away can reduce your chances of becoming sick.
Your risk of illness after an exposure depends on:
How much of the pathogen was present in the blood or fluid that entered your body.
Your body’s ability to fight infection through its immune system.
The type of exposure (e.g., needle stick, mucous membrane splash, broken skin).
The type of pathogen involved (some, like Hepatitis B, spread more easily than others).
How quickly you receive medical evaluation and treatment after the exposure.
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Safe Practices to Prevent Exposure
Always use personal protective equipment (PPE)—such as gloves, masks, and eye protection—when there is a chance of contact with blood.
Follow universal precautions: treat all blood and certain body fluids as if they are infectious.
Place used needles and other sharps immediately into approved sharps containers.
Wash your hands thoroughly after removing gloves or after any possible contact with blood.
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Treat all blood and certain body fluids as if they are infectious. Dispose of sharps immediately in approved sharps containers. Wash hands thoroughly after removing gloves or after possible contact with blood
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- Job Classifications at Risk:
Identify all positions with a reasonable chance of exposure (e.g., nurses, CNAs, housekeeping staff, phlebotomists, etc.). - Tasks and Procedures with Exposure Risk:
List duties where exposure may occur, such as handling sharps, cleaning spills, providing first aid, or performing invasive procedures. - Methods of Compliance:
Universal precautions: Treat all blood and OPIM as infectious.
Engineering controls: Sharps disposal containers, needleless systems, safer sharps devices.
Work practice controls: Proper handwashing, safe sharps handling, no recapping needles.
Personal protective equipment (PPE): Gloves, masks, gowns, face shields, eye protection. - Hepatitis B Vaccination Program:
Offer the Hepatitis B vaccine series to all employees with occupational exposure risk. - Post-Exposure Evaluation and Follow-Up:
Provide immediate confidential medical evaluation and testing.
Offer treatment and counseling as needed. - Communication of Hazards:
Use warning labels, biohazard signs, and color-coding for contaminated items and waste. - Recordkeeping:
Maintain medical records, training documentation, vaccination records, and exposure incident reports. - Exposure Incident Review:
Establish a procedure for evaluating what happened, how it occurred, and steps to prevent recurrence. - Annual Training & Plan Review:
Provide yearly training on bloodborne pathogens and update the Exposure Control Plan at least once every 12 months.
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Protect: Take steps to keep yourself safe with PPE and universal precautions.
Act: Respond quickly and correctly when exposure occurs.
Clean: Safely clean and disinfect contaminated areas and dispose of materials properly.
Tell: Report the exposure or incident immediately so follow-up care can be given.
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Key Takeaway:
Protecting yourself starts with awareness, knowing what bloodborne pathogens are, how they spread, and the safety measures in place to reduce your risk.
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A condition caused by HIV that weakens the immune system and reduces the body’s ability to fight infections.
Microorganisms present in blood and certain body fluids that can cause disease in humans.
A method of infection control based on the assumption that all body fluids are potentially infectious.
The presence of blood or other potentially infectious material on an item or surface.
The process of using chemicals to destroy most pathogens on surfaces and objects.
Devices or equipment designed to isolate or remove hazards, such as sharps disposal containers or needleless systems.
A written program required by OSHA that outlines how an employer will protect workers from bloodborne pathogen exposure.
A specific contact with blood or potentially infectious materials that occurs through the eyes, mouth, other mucous membranes, non-intact skin, or parenteral route.
A virus that causes liver infection and can lead to chronic disease or liver cancer.
A virus that causes liver disease and often leads to chronic infection.
A virus that attacks the immune system and may lead to AIDS
The U.S. government agency that sets and enforces workplace safety standards.
Clothing and equipment worn to protect against exposure, such as gloves, masks, gowns, and goggles.
Waste that is contaminated with blood or OPIM, including sharps, pathological waste, and items caked with dried blood.
Objects that can penetrate the skin, such as needles, scalpels, or broken glass.
The routes by which pathogens spread, such as through sharps injuries, mucous membranes, or broken skin.
The approach of treating all human blood and body fluids as if they are infectious.
Policies and practices that reduce the risk of exposure, such as handwashing protocols and restricted eating areas.