Bloodborne Pathogens Certification Manual: Common Mistakes
BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS - COMMON MISTAKES
Avoiding common mistakes when working with bloodborne pathogens can help prevent transmission and keep you and your team safe. Always follow universal precautions when dealing with blood or body fluids. It is important to treat all blood and certain body fluids as potentially infectious. Bloodborne pathogens are easily transmitted and can be extremely dangerous. Common bloodborne pathogens include HIV and various forms of hepatitis. Make sure you wear personal protective equipment, decontaminate and sanitize correctly to avoid bloodborne pathogens transmission.
Preventing the transmission of BBPs is essential to maintaining a safe and healthy workplace. Universal precautions should be applied to all human blood and other potentially infectious materials. The risk of exposure to infected blood necessitates strict precautions. Employers have a responsibility to minimize employee exposure. Protecting mucous membranes from potential transmission is crucial.
Standard precautions should be followed to prevent the spread of other bloodborne pathogens. Always treat all blood and other body fluids as potentially infectious. The bloodborne pathogens standard covers exposure to other potentially infectious materials. The term 'potentially infectious materials' refers to blood or other materials that may contain bloodborne pathogens, such as HIV and HBV.
Some of the most common bloodborne pathogens transmission mistakes are listed below:
- Not using PPE
- Reusing disposable PPE
- Removing gloves incorrectly
- Not reporting an incident in a timely manner
- Not washing hands long enough
- Not using soap to thoroughly wash hands
- Not sterilizing the area after an incident