rollman
09-10-2004, 05:12 PM
I found this article on the PDTA site . :
CLEANING UP BLOOD
December 30, 2002 -When a vehicle arrives at a collision repair facility or when a
towing service picks up a vehicle with bloodstains, it raises serious concerns.
These concerns are with diseases that can be carried in blood, called blood
borne pathogens (BBP). These include HIV or Hepatitis B viruses. HIV can live
up to 30 minutes, or longer if the blood is pooled. Hepatitis B can live up to
two weeks in a bloodstain according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is well aware of
the risks involved in handling blood. There is a separate OSHA standard for BBPs
(29 CFR 1910.1030) that establishes specific requirements for labeling,
containment, and disposal of waste material contaminated with blood.
The BBP standard states that no employee can be placed in a position to be
exposed to blood spills without first:
receiving BBP training.
having a written BBP exposure control plan. The plan is written by the
employer and must be reviewed and updated annually.
having been provided personal protective equipment.
having been offered the Hepatitis B vaccine, and exposure evaluation and
follow-up.
being provided with a method to remove and properly store the bio-hazardous
waste in properly marked containers for disposal at an approved site.
OSHA has the potential to fine facilities for failure to have policies in place. Fines
can range up to $70,000 for willful offenses.
The Problem With Blood
The problem with blood is that it is hardly ever safe to handle. Like any waste,
fresh, wet blood carries the highest risk of infection. But dry blood can flake
and be inhaled, or can become liquid again when contacting moisture, such as
moisture from your eyes, nose, or mouth. Because dry blood can go airborne,
cleaning a vehicle with bloodstains requires removal of the air ducts and cleaning
them separately. Airborne particles also requires the wearing of respirators and
eye protection when cleaning up blood.
The air ducts, an instrument panel, or anything hard that isn’t absorbent can be
considered disinfected after it is properly cleaned, but cloth seats can never be
considered 100% disinfected. There are processes that can be used to clean
them, but because the nap of the material holds parts of the spill, you can
never guarantee total disinfection.
Rubber gloves are no longer the magical protective clothing item that protect
against all diseases. Every situation needs to be handled as if the most
dangerous disease was contained in the stain and doing this will help limit the
danger facing the person cleaning.
Biohazard Cleaning Organizations
One way for a facility to handle blood stains is to sublet the cleanup on an as-
needed basis. There are organizations that specialize in the cleanup of
biohazardous waste at crime scenes, disaster sites, and (vehicle) accident
scenes. Service is guaranteed usually within 24 hours. One organization has
facilities located in Canada and 47 of the 50 states (www.americanbiorecovery.
org).
As a service, these same organizations will provide the required BBP training.
This can be done at a company’s workplace for technicians who are at high risk
of exposure. Only after the appropriate training has been provided can an
employer require that someone clean blood stains, contain and store the
infected articles, and through the proper services, dispose of contaminated
items.
Conclusion
Bloodstains and other bodily fluids are risky business. ONLY properly trained
persons should handle or perform blood spill cleaning tasks.
This article first appeared in the I-CAR Advantage Online,
which is published and distributed free of charge. I-CAR, the
Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair, is a
not-for-profit international training organization that
researches and develops quality technical education programs
related to collision repair. To learn more about I-CAR, and to
subscribe to the free publication, visit http://www.i-car.com.
Cleaning up Blood
CLEANING UP BLOOD
December 30, 2002 -When a vehicle arrives at a collision repair facility or when a
towing service picks up a vehicle with bloodstains, it raises serious concerns.
These concerns are with diseases that can be carried in blood, called blood
borne pathogens (BBP). These include HIV or Hepatitis B viruses. HIV can live
up to 30 minutes, or longer if the blood is pooled. Hepatitis B can live up to
two weeks in a bloodstain according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is well aware of
the risks involved in handling blood. There is a separate OSHA standard for BBPs
(29 CFR 1910.1030) that establishes specific requirements for labeling,
containment, and disposal of waste material contaminated with blood.
The BBP standard states that no employee can be placed in a position to be
exposed to blood spills without first:
receiving BBP training.
having a written BBP exposure control plan. The plan is written by the
employer and must be reviewed and updated annually.
having been provided personal protective equipment.
having been offered the Hepatitis B vaccine, and exposure evaluation and
follow-up.
being provided with a method to remove and properly store the bio-hazardous
waste in properly marked containers for disposal at an approved site.
OSHA has the potential to fine facilities for failure to have policies in place. Fines
can range up to $70,000 for willful offenses.
The Problem With Blood
The problem with blood is that it is hardly ever safe to handle. Like any waste,
fresh, wet blood carries the highest risk of infection. But dry blood can flake
and be inhaled, or can become liquid again when contacting moisture, such as
moisture from your eyes, nose, or mouth. Because dry blood can go airborne,
cleaning a vehicle with bloodstains requires removal of the air ducts and cleaning
them separately. Airborne particles also requires the wearing of respirators and
eye protection when cleaning up blood.
The air ducts, an instrument panel, or anything hard that isn’t absorbent can be
considered disinfected after it is properly cleaned, but cloth seats can never be
considered 100% disinfected. There are processes that can be used to clean
them, but because the nap of the material holds parts of the spill, you can
never guarantee total disinfection.
Rubber gloves are no longer the magical protective clothing item that protect
against all diseases. Every situation needs to be handled as if the most
dangerous disease was contained in the stain and doing this will help limit the
danger facing the person cleaning.
Biohazard Cleaning Organizations
One way for a facility to handle blood stains is to sublet the cleanup on an as-
needed basis. There are organizations that specialize in the cleanup of
biohazardous waste at crime scenes, disaster sites, and (vehicle) accident
scenes. Service is guaranteed usually within 24 hours. One organization has
facilities located in Canada and 47 of the 50 states (www.americanbiorecovery.
org).
As a service, these same organizations will provide the required BBP training.
This can be done at a company’s workplace for technicians who are at high risk
of exposure. Only after the appropriate training has been provided can an
employer require that someone clean blood stains, contain and store the
infected articles, and through the proper services, dispose of contaminated
items.
Conclusion
Bloodstains and other bodily fluids are risky business. ONLY properly trained
persons should handle or perform blood spill cleaning tasks.
This article first appeared in the I-CAR Advantage Online,
which is published and distributed free of charge. I-CAR, the
Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair, is a
not-for-profit international training organization that
researches and develops quality technical education programs
related to collision repair. To learn more about I-CAR, and to
subscribe to the free publication, visit http://www.i-car.com.
Cleaning up Blood