Bloodborne Pathogens

May 30, 2008 11:44 AM

Know your rights

Protecting yourself from bloodborne diseases

Jan 17, 2008 12:36 PM

Accidents, playground scrapes, bloody noses, fights, athletic injuries and violent episodes all have the potential for exposure to a bloodborne pathogen, a microorganism in blood that can cause disease if it enters your bloodstream. Of primary concern are AIDS/HIV, the hepatitis B virus and the hepatitis C virus.

You may get exposed at work by being bitten by a student, breaking up a fight, administering first aid, or diapering, toileting or feeding a student.

While New York City public school educators have tough jobs, most of the time they are not at risk of physical harm. Nonetheless, everyone should know what to do if they are exposed to human blood or body fluids because although infrequent, risky situations do happen at school. (Urine, tears, sweat and saliva cannot transmit bloodborne diseases unless visibly contaminated with blood.)

Steps to take if exposed

The Department of Education must provide confidential medical treatment and counseling if you sustain a workplace exposure to blood or body fluids.

If you think you’ve been exposed, wash the affected area with soap and warm water immediately. Flush eyes and exposed mucous membranes with large amounts of water. Then report the incident to your principal and your school chapter leader without delay.

You should also see your own doctor or go to an emergency room immediately so any post-exposure evaluation, counseling or treatment can begin right away. Treatment and counseling should be provided free of charge according to the law; the Department of Education, however, has refused to comply with this mandate. The UFT has pressed charges against the DOE, and the matter is currently under review by the State Attorney General.

Remember that most exposures do not result in infection. But time is of the essence with these kinds of exposures. If you get appropriate treatment quickly, you can prevent infection.

By law, the DOE is required to develop an exposure control plan (available online at http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/DHR/OSH/) that outlines how and when occupational exposure occurs and which job classifications are at risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens, the methods that it will employ to prevent or eliminate exposure, and schedules and descriptions of training programs. Every school must have a designated site administrator to coordinate the program. The administrator is responsible for taking the general road map of the exposure control plan and tailoring it to the specific school. The plan should detail safety guidelines that the DOE will use to protect you from exposure.

By the nature of the jobs they do, certain DOE employees (including all District 75 employees and those employees working with special education students in non-District 75 schools) are considered at occupational risk and are entitled to specific protections under the federal Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. If you are not sure if you qualify for these additional protections, ask your site administrator or contact the city Department of Education’s Office of Occupational Safety and Health.

Your rights as an at-risk employee

The DOE must identify all employees whose work is likely to involve contact with blood or other potentially infectious body fluids.

For those “at-risk” employees, the DOE must provide:

• annual training in safe work practices during work hours (for all new employees, training must be done at the time of hire);
• all necessary personal protective equipment (such as disposable gloves and if necessary, aprons and masks); and
• the opportunity to get the hepatitis B vaccine at no cost.

You can further reduce your risk of exposure by using universal precautions, which means treating all blood and body fluids as if they are contaminated with bloodborne pathogens. For example, in an accident where no gloves are available, you should place a barrier such as paper towels between you and the blood or body fluids. You should wear disposable gloves and other necessary protective equipment when performing routine tasks that involve the potential for exposure to blood or body fluids.

One of the most effective ways to prevent infection is good hand-washing. Wash your hands when you arrive at work, before handling food or feeding children, after using the toilet, before or after assisting a child in using the toilet, after changing diapers, after contact with runny noses, vomit or saliva, and before and after using gloves.

And get the hepatitis B vaccine. (Even if you first declined to have the vaccine, you can ask for it again at any time if you change your mind.)

If you believe that your school is not providing employees with the protections required under the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, discuss the matter with your chapter leader or contact your district representative, who will address your concerns with the UFT Health and Safety Department.