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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W XYZ

Blood

Human blood, human blood components and products made from human blood. Also included are medications derived from blood, such as immune globulins, albumin, and factors 8 and 9.

Bloodborne pathogens

Pathogenic microorganisms that are present in human blood and can cause disease in humans. Examples of these pathogens include:

• – Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
• – Hepatitis B virus (HBV)
• – Hepatitis C virus, malaria
• – Syphilis
• – Babesiosis
• – Brucellosis
• – Leptospirosis
• – Arboviral infections
• – Relapsing fever
• – Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease
• – Human T-lymphotrophic virus Type I
• – Viral Hemorrhagic Fever.
  

Clinical laboratory

A workplace where diagnostic or other screening procedures are performed on blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM).

Contaminated

The presence or the reasonably anticipated presence of blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) on an item or surface.

Contaminated laundry

Laundry that has been soiled with blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) or may contain contaminated sharps.

Contaminated sharps

Any contaminated object that can penetrate the skin including, but not limited to, needles, scalpels, broken glass, broken capillary tubes, and exposed ends of dental wires.

Decontamination

The use of physical or chemical means to remove, inactivate, or destroy bloodborne pathogens on a surface or item to the point where they are no longer capable of transmitting infectious particles and the surface or item is rendered safe for handling, use, or disposal.

Exposure incident

A specific eye, mouth, other mucous membrane, nonintact skin or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) that results from the performance of an employee's duties. Examples of nonintact skin include skin with dermatitis, hangnails, cuts, abrasions, chafing, or acne.

Handwashing facilities

A facility providing an adequate supply of running potable water, soap and single use towels or hot air drying machines.

Licensed health care professional

A person whose legally permitted scope of practice allows him or her to independently perform the activities required by this rule.

Needleless systems

A device that doesn't use needles for any of the following:

• – The collection of bodily fluids or withdrawal of body fluids after initial venous or arterial access is established
• – The administration of medication or fluids
• – Any other procedure involving the potential for occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens due to percutaneous injuries from contaminated sharps.

Occupational exposure

Reasonably anticipated skin, eye, mucous membrane, or parenteral contact with blood or OPIM that may result from the performance of an employee's duties.

Other potentially infectious materials (OPIM)

Includes all of the following:

• – Human body fluids: Semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva in dental procedures, any body fluid that is visibly contaminated with blood, and all body fluids in situations where it is difficult or impossible to differentiate between body fluids;
• – Any unfixed tissue or organ (other than intact skin) from a human (living or dead)
• – HIV-containing cell or tissue cultures, organ cultures, and HIV- or HBV-containing culture medium or other solutions; and blood, organs, or other tissues from experimental animals infected with HIV or HBV
• – Blood and tissues of experimental animals infected with bloodborne pathogens.

Parenteral contact

When mucous membranes or skin is pierced by needlesticks, human bites, cuts, or abrasions.

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Specialized clothing or equipment worn by an employee for protection against a hazard. General work clothes (for example, uniforms, pants, shirts, or blouses) not intended to function as protection against a hazard aren't considered to be PPE.

Production facility

A facility engaged in industrial-scale, large-volume or high concentration production of HIV or HBV.

Regulated waste

Regulated waste is any of the following:

• – Liquid or semiliquid blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM)
• – Contaminated items that would release blood or OPIM in a liquid or semiliquid state, if compressed
• – Items that are caked with dried blood or OPIM and are capable of releasing these materials during handling
• – Contaminated sharps
• – Pathological and microbiological wastes containing blood or OPIM.

Research laboratory

A laboratory producing or using research-laboratory-scale amounts of HIV or HBV. Research laboratories may produce high concentrations of HIV or HBV but not in the volume found in production facilities.

Safer medical devices

Medical devices that have been engineered to reduce the risk of needlesticks and other contaminated sharps injuries. These include not only sharps with engineered sharps injury protections and needleless systems but also other medical devices designed to reduce the risk of sharps injury exposures to bloodborne pathogens. Examples include blunt suture needles and plastic or mylar-wrapped glass capillary tubes.

Secondary duty

Any job expectation outside the primary job duties assigned to that position.

Sharps with engineered sharps injury protections (SESIP)

A nonneedle sharp or a needle device used for withdrawing body fluids, accessing a vein or artery, or administering medications or other fluids, with a built-in safety feature or mechanism that effectively reduces the risk of an exposure incident.

Source person

A person, living or dead, whose blood or other potentially infectious materials may be a source (OPIM) of occupational exposure to the employee. Examples include:

• – Hospital and clinic patients
• – Clients in institutions for the developmentally disabled
• – Trauma victims
• – Clients of drug and alcohol treatment facilities
• – Residents of hospices and nursing homes
• – Human remains
• – Individuals who donate or sell blood or blood components

Standard microbiological practices

Standard microbiological practices refer to procedures comparable to those outlined in the current edition of the Center for Disease Control "Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories."

Sterilize

The use of a physical or chemical procedure to destroy all microbial life including highly resistant bacterial endospores.

Universal precautions

An approach to infection control. According to the concept of universal precautions, all human blood and certain human body fluids are treated as if known to be infectious for HIV, HBV, and other bloodborne pathogens.