BBP Exposures Frequently Asked Questions
What occupations have a risk of bloodborne pathogens exposure at Virginia Tech?
- Emergency response: First responders, first aid providers;
- Health services personnel;
- Athletic trainers and sports support staff;
- Spill response/housekeeping/custodial personnel;
- Dining Services personnel;
- Facilities/utilities repair and maintenance personnel;
- Police and security officers;
- Waste management personnel and regulated medical waste operators;
- Lab workers who handle certain biohazardous materials, human body fluids, human bloodborne microorganisms; and/or
- Medical/clinical work.
What puts employees at risk for bloodborne pathogens exposure?
- If your work situation could place you into contact, or potential contact with one or more of the biohazardous materials listed below, you are considered at risk for bloodborne pathogens exposure:
- Human blood/blood products blood components;
- Human or NHP tissue cell cultures (primary or established lines);
- Unfixed tissue or organs from humans, living or dead;
- Other potentially infectious materials of human origin: sexual fluids, cerebrospinal fluid, organ fluids, joint fluids, amniotic fluid, saliva (from dental procedures), or any body fluid containing visible blood;
- HIV or HBV-containing cell or tissue cultures, culture medium or other solutions; and/or
- Blood, organs, other tissues, or cell lines from experimental animals infected with HIV or HBV.
- Practices that increase your exposure risk include:
- Use of needles with no safety devices;
- Using needles preferentially over alternative, safer means;
- Careless handling and disposal of sharps (e.g., needles, broken glass, scalpels, blades, etc.);
- Failing to use splash guards, face shields, safety glasses, disposable gloves, or lab coats in situations that require them for protection;
- Failing to use containment equipment;
- Failing to wash hands;
- Failing to properly decontaminate surfaces and lab equipment;
- Failing to properly decontaminate and dispose of hazardous waste;
- Failing to follow universal precautions; and/or
- Creating aerosols while cleaning spills, cleaning bathrooms or unclogging drains.
What constitutes an exposure to bloodborne pathogens?
- When contact occurs between blood, tissue, or other materials of human origin that are potentially infectious AND
- An injury site on your body (such as a needlestick);
- Your mucous membranes (eyes, nasal passages, mouth); or
- A non-intact skin surface (such as exposed skin that is chapped, abraded, etc.).
What should I do in the event of a bloodborne pathogens exposure?
- Remove PPE and provide immediate care to the exposed site by washing wounds and skin with soap and water for 15 minutes, or flush eyes/mucous membranes with fresh water for 15 minutes.
- Call 911 if a serious injury has occurred; administer first aid as needed.
- Inform your direct supervisor about the incident immediately, even if it is only a potential exposure.
- Visit a medical provider or an emergency department for evaluation within 1-2 hours of the incident. Inform the medical provider about the specific material to which you have been (or may have been) exposed.
- Complete the Employers Accident Report.
- Complete Exposure Incident Report and return to Environmental Health & Safety.
- Receive instructions regarding the Occupational Health physician's recommended testing and treatment.
