Occupational Health & Infectious Disease  

Blood means human blood, human blood components and products made from human blood

Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP) means pathogenic microorganisms that are present in human blood and can cause disease in humans, including, but not limited to, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

Contaminated means the presence, or the reasonably anticipated presence, of blood or other potentially infectious materials on an object or surface

Contaminated Sharps means any object contaminated with body fluids, that is capable of penetrating the skin, including, but not limited to, needles, razors, lancets and broken glass

Decontamination means the use of physical or chemical means to remove, inactivate or destroy bloodborne pathogens on a surface of an item to the point where they are no longer capable of transmitting infectious particles and the surface/item is rendered safe for handling, use or disposal

Engineering Controls means controls (e.g. sharps disposal container) that isolate or remove the bloodborne pathogens hazard from the workplace

Exposure Incident means a specific eye, mouth, other mucous membrane, non-intact skin or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials that result from the performance of an employee's duties

Hand Washing Facilities means a facility providing an adequate supply of running potable water, soap and single use towels or hot air drying machines

HBV means hepatitis B virus

HCV means Hepatitis C virus

HIV means Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Licensed Healthcare Professional is a person whose legally permitted scope of practice allows him or her to independently perform the activities required by hepatitis B immunization and post-exposure management and follow-up

Occupational Exposure means reasonably anticipated skin, eye, mucous membrane, non-intact skin or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials that may result from the performance of an employee's duties

Other Potentially Infectious Materials means the following human body fluids: semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva, any body fluid visibly contaminated with blood and all body fluids in situations where it is difficult or impossible to differentiate between body fluids

Parenteral Exposure means piercing mucous membranes or the skin through such events as needle sticks, human bites, cuts and abrasions

Personal Protective Equipment or PPE is specialized clothing or equipment worn by an employee to protect the body from an exposure

Reasonably Anticipated means a rational conclusion to expect or foresee an occupational exposure

Source Individual is any individual, living or dead, whose blood or other body fluids or tissues may be a source of occupational exposure

Universal Precautions means a method of infection control that treats all human blood and body fluids as if they are infectious for BBP

Work-Practice Controls are procedures that reduce the likelihood of exposure by altering the way a task is performed