This is the second part of our 3-part series on protecting the health and safety of your teachers at charter schools.

Bloodborne Pathogens

Teachers often risk on-the-job contact with blood and other body fluids in their work with students. These materials may contain pathogens, organisms that can cause severe disease. The Bloodborne Pathogen Standard was created to protect employees with anticipated occupational exposure to these organisms.

What is the PEOSH Bloodborne Pathogen Standard?
In 1991, the federal OSHA adopted the Bloodborne Pathogen Standard that protects workers in the private sector who come in contact with blood or other body fluids that may cause severe disease. The following are major
concern:

  • Hepatitis B virus (HBV)
  • Hepatitis C virus (HCV)
  • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the cause of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

The federal OSHA Standard was developed to prove teachers in the following ways:

  • The employer must provide an exposure control plan that includes the following:
    • Job classifications of those responsible for clean-ups.
    • Job classification tasks and procedures in which employees have occupational exposure.
    • Schedule and methods for implementing the requirements of the standard.
    • Procedures for documenting the circumstances surrounding disclosure.
    • Accessibility to employees and updated at least annually.
    • Methods to prevent exposure:
      • Universal precautions require handling all potentially infectious materials as if they were contaminated.
      • Engineering controls are used to contain or remove hazardous materials, such as puncture-resistant containers or splash guards.
      • Work practice procedures and the equipment to implement them.
      • Hepatitis B vaccinations for all employees anticipating blood or other bodily fluids exposure.
      • Medical evaluation and follow-up for all employees who are exposed.
      • Employee training for all employees with the potential for exposure.
      • Confidential records about employee exposures must be kept for the length of employment plus 30 years.