EBBAA - Infection Control and Bloodborne Pathogens

Code: EBBAA
Adopted: 8/13/97, 7/13/22
 

The Board recognizes that staff and students incur some risk of infection and illness each time they are exposed to blood or other potentially infectious materials. While the risk to staff and students of exposure to body fluids due to casual contact with individuals in the school environment is very low, the Board regards any such risk as serious.

Consequently, the Board directs adherence to standard precautions. Standard precautions require that staff and students approach infection control as if all direct contact with human blood and body fluids is known to be infectious for HIV, AIDS, HBV[1] and/or other bloodborne pathogens[2].

The district shall develop an Exposure Control Plan that includes infection control procedures, and procedures to minimize and eliminate exposure incidents to bloodborne pathogens.

Infection Control

Staff and students shall receive an annual in-service that includes correct procedures for cleaning up body fluid spills and for personal cleanup, appropriate disposal, immunization and personal hygiene, as well as the location and a content review of first-aid and clean-up kits. Kits shall be available for each room in the building and in each district vehicle.

In addition to an annual in-service, staff and students on a regular basis will receive HIV, AIDS and HBV information.

The information shall emphasize infection — how infection is spread as well as how it is not spread.

Bloodborne Pathogens

The Exposure Control Plan shall be reviewed and updated at least annually and when necessary to reflect new or modified tasks and procedures which affect occupational exposure and to reflect new or revised employee positions with occupational exposure. The review and update shall also:

1. Reflect changes in technology that eliminate or reduce exposure to bloodborne pathogens;

2. Annually, document consideration and implementation of appropriate commercially available and effective safer medical devices designed to eliminate or minimize occupational exposure.

The plan shall include training followed by an offer of immunization with Hepatitis B vaccine and vaccination series for all staff who are required to provide first aid to students and/or for all staff who have occupational exposure as determined by the district. Training shall be provided at the time of initial assignment to tasks where occupational exposure may take place and at least annually thereafter. Personal protective equipment appropriate to job tasks shall be provided by the district. A post-exposure evaluation and follow-up shall be made available to any employee sustaining an occupational exposure.

The district recognizes that, as required by Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 437-002-1030, employees who use medical sharps in the performance of their duties (e.g., administering injectable medicines to students, such as epinephrine and glucagon) must, at least annually, be provided with the opportunity to identify, evaluate and select engineering and work practice controls (e.g., sharps disposal containers, self-sheathing needles, safer medical devices, such as sharps with engineered sharps injury protections and needleless systems). The district will implement such work practice controls, as appropriate.

Documentation, including a sharps injury log, will be maintained as required by OAR 437-002-1030(3) and 437-002-1035.

The district will cooperate with the Oregon Department of Education, the Oregon Health Authority, Public Health Division, the education service district in delivering HIV, AIDS and HBV education.

END OF POLICY


1 HIV - Human Immunodeficiency Virus; AIDS - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; HBV - Hepatitis B Virus
2 “Bloodborne pathogens” are pathogenic microorganisms that are present in human blood and can cause disease in humans. These include, but are not limited to, Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).


Legal Reference(s):
OAR 437-002-0360
OAR 437-002-0377
OAR 437-002-1030
OAR 437-002-1035
OAR 581-022-2050
OAR 581-022-2220
OAR 581-053-0240(23)
OAR 581-053-0250(1)
OAR 581-053-0517(13)(c),(e)
Occupational Safety and Health Standards, Bloodborne Pathogens, 29 C.F.R. §1910.1030.