Bloodborne Exposure In The Workplace

Equipment hazards can be things such as hoists which can be a big hazard as the hoists could get in the way and a service user could trip and cause them an injury. Another hazard would be wearing gloves because if the staff didn’t wear gloves whilst they were treating a patient they would carry the infection to another patient, which could cause them to be severely ill or worse even

The responsibilities of employees are to take safety measures to prevent and control the spread of infection in the workplace; this includes working safely to protect myself, other staff, visitors and individuals from infections. Employees would attend essential training that our employers offer so that we can work safely for everyone in the best way possible. Employees have a duty to have safe ways of working and put into practice such as effective hand washing, not coming to work ill for the reason that you can put other individuals at risk, not to wear jewellery when cooking or supporting service users in other activities because

It is our responsibility as employees to take precautionary measures to prevent and control the spread of infection in the workplace. This involves working safely to protect myself, other staff, visitors and individuals from infections.

Own health or hygiene might pose a risk to individuals or others at work by causing infections, causing illness or causing fatalities, this can be prevented by washing hands thoroughly before preparing food and after going to the toilet, covering mouth/ turning away when coughing, applying/ replacing old plasters, disposing of used tissues, taking sick leave if ill etc.

An Estimated 40 year ago those who received tattoos and various forms of body art were only prisoners, outlaw motorcycle gangs and those who were in the armed forces (Taylor, 2012). As more people demanded more ink, more businesses were opened, some tattoo artists began to fear the spread of blood borne pathogens such as hepatitis (Taylor, 2012). “If you do not know whom you are going to or what you are getting done, anywhere in Idaho, it is a risky situation” (Taylor, 2012). The minor could be put in a real high risk situation; a number of tattoo artists were calling for government intervention. The reasoning is that, the health department needs to step in, so tattoo parlors that do not take safety into account, can get shut down (Taylor, 2012).

Flames of evolution in patient care have been fanned into a wholesome revolution in the nature of nursing care due to the ever changing healthcare needs and demands of patients. This has led to a paradigm shift from generalized patient care to a patient centered approach. The increase in interaction and individualized patient management has improved healthcare delivery. However, on the flipside, this has not come with new challenges. Healthcare providers are increasingly being exposed to new health hazards as new and sophisticated treatment approaches are developed. Injuries due to sharps are of significance in nursing practice. The International Healthcare Workers Safety Center (2010) reports that an average of 27.97 per 100 licensed beds sharps injuries occurred in 2007 while in 2008 17.2 per 100 licensed beds sharps injuries were recorded. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2010), 385,000 healthcare workers are injured due to sharps annually in the United States. This puts the healthcare personnel at risk of contracting infections such as Hepatitis C and B from contaminated objects. In regard to this concept, this paper will explore sharps safety at the clinical site with a view of using evidence based practice to creating awareness on the need for sharps safety in hospital settings.

Reporting of Injuries,Diseases and dangerous occurrences regulations of 1995 requires the reporting of work-related accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences. The Act applies to all work related activities, but not to all work related incidents. The objective of the regulations is to enable the enforcing authorities to identify where and how risks arise and to investigate serious accidents so as to prevent them from occurring in the future and thus providing a safer work environment. The enforcing authorities can then help and advise you on preventive action to reduce injury, ill health and accidental loss,the main points of our own policy that relate to this are:

Being in a health and social care setting means that there are many opportunities to be exposed to infection. For example MRA (Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) and hazardous

Blood-borne infections are not spread by respiratory droplets, so the use of masks is not necessary.

Among reviewing CNAs at a long-term care facility, it was seen that some CNA’s did not take off their gloves between giving perineal care of a patient after the patient used the bathroom and the CNA reached for the patient’s attire to put on the patient for that day. The CNA put every patient at risk of contracting the infection and the patients clothes could have became a source of C-diff. There are many cases similar to the one above where health workers are in a rush and do not perform their job/skills that they have been taught correctly. Health workers being in a rush also is due to shortage of staff. The CNAs at the long term facility discussed in this paragraph work a 9:1 ratio, which causes challenges for the health workers to give quality care to the patients.

In addition to the Bloodborne Pathogen Rule, many individual states have developed the EmployeesRight-To-Know laws that support and expand on OSHA regulations to a work place where exposure to infectious agents is possible. “Embalmers must be aware of the duties and responsibilities that are imposed on them by the laws and rules of various jurisdictions within which they practice” (Mayer, pg. 53). Embalmers should treat all cases as if the decedent contracted an infectious disease. In the Bloodborne Pathogen Rule, it mentions that we must comply with work practice controls, which is common sense steps in order to avoid unnecessary exposure to infectious agents. “Common work practices that contribute to a hygienic environment

It’s very important to make sure the tattoo studio is clean and safe, and that all equipment is disposable (needles, gloves, masks, etc.) and that everything is sterilized. You can call your state, county, or local health department to ask for recommendations on licensed tattoo shops, or to ask about any complaints about a particular studio.

Whilst not all professions have dangerous activities such as health workers, emergency personnel and defence members. Dangers can present themselves anywhere.

This assignment will focus on one of the extremely important topics of the many hazards in the healthcare work place that may pose as a threat to my health and safety in the Care Industry.

     The unsanitary conditions of getting a tattoo tend to go unnoticed by teenagers. The increase popularity in body art has also caused an increase in the incidences of Hepatitis, especially Hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is spread by contact with human blood. Since, the government regulation has not enforced