Bloodborne Pathogens

In todays article we will be discussing blood borne pathogens.  You have probably heard this term used before, but may be unaware of what it actually means.  So what is a blood borne pathogen?  Well, according to the site https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/bloodbornepathogens/ , a blood borne pathogen is a microorganism, that are infectious in human blood and can cause diseases.  Some of the blood borne pathogens you may have heard of before include HIV and Hepatitis B and C.  Obviously, if these pathogens can cause diseases, people need to be very careful when dealing with them.  OSHA actually has a blood borne pathogen standard for handling these pathogens.  According to the site https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/bloodbornepathogens/bloodborne_quickref.html , the OSHA blood borne pathogen standard can be found in 29CFR 1910.1030.  One area that this standard covers are the safeguards that are available to workers to keep them safe against blood borne pathogens.  There are many things that this standard covers.  Some of these areas include precautions, engineering controls, personal protective equipment, or PPE, the specific ways you are suppose to store and handle these pathogens in a lab setting, what you need to do if there is a possible exposure, as well as control plans for exposure so that it does not occur.  These areas are all equally as important because not only do they help yourself understand, but with that comes the responsibility of keeping everyone around you safe as well.  You might say to yourself, how are these pathogens spread?  Well, according to the site http://www.wpi.edu/offices/safety/bloodborne.html , blood borne pathogens are mainly spread through either sexual transmission or by an IV, however any contact with the infected blood, or body fluids, can lead to disease or infections so you want to be extra careful.  What can you do to protect yourself from these blood borne pathogens?  Well, also on this website are ways of protecting yourself from blood borne pathogens.  One very important way mentioned in this web site is the housekeeping of the pathogens.  This refers to how well you decontaminate objects and surfaces that come into contact with them, as well as the disposal of such objects.  Also, another way that you can protect yourself is by simply wearing the personal protective equipment provided to keep you safe from these infectious pathogens.  It seems so negligible to some people and they don't think wearing personal protective equipment matters, but it is one of the simplest and most effective things you can do in order to protect yourself not only from blood borne pathogens, but many hazards that can arise in the workplace.  Having the right mindset and understanding the risks involved when dealing with these pathogens is the first step in keeping yourself and others around you safe.  Wearing proper gloves and gowns as well as proper eye protection and masking is vital when working with or around these pathogens.  I hope this blog was helpful in providing some information to you about what a blood borne pathogen is and what you can do to protect yourself from being infected.