Biohazards

General Information:

Definition: Biohazard (or Biomedical waste) are classed as:

1. waste generated by human or animal teaching / testing process or care facilities;

2. human anatomical waste;

3. microbiology (cultures, vaccines);

4. human blood and body fluid waste (not including urine, feces, sputum, tears, saliva, or vomit unless bloody);

5. needles, syringes, blades (i.e. sharps);

6. waste from animals infected with diseases communicable to humans (zoonosis).

Report all incidents to the Safety & Security Department (4190) as soon as possible. Ensure that an incident report and the necessary WCB claim forms are completed.

Biohazard injuries or infections are normally restricted to individuals and may rarely require activation of the Emergency Response Plan.

The categories are:

a. Abrasions, cuts or chemical burns with biohazard exposure;

b. Injection or sharps injury with biohazard exposure;

c. Biohazard (personal) exposure with no injury;

d. Injuries (personal) involving animals;

e. Biohazard Spill Clean-up.

A. Abrasions, Cuts or Chemical Burns with Biohazard Exposure:

In the event of personal injury, the treatment of the injury must take precedence over spill clean-up or decontamination procedures, even with contaminated persons. Minimize contamination by confining all contaminated persons to a restricted area if doing so does not add to the extent of their injuries, to their suffering or impede the speed of recovery.

1. Minor Injuries:

These injuries normally involve a small cut or break in the skin or a chemical burn with coincident exposure

to a biohazard. Persons involved should be advised to:

a. Contact First Aid Attendant in your area.

b. Treat immediately, at or near the scene of the accident in the following manner:

c. Rinse contaminated wound with copious quantities of water from an eye wash or emergency shower and encourage bleeding.

d. If the wound is on the face, take care not to contaminate the eyes, nostrils or mouth.

e. Wash the wound with mild soap and lukewarm water. DO NOT USE abrasives or brushes which might cause further injury.

1. Serious Injuries:

If more than first aid treatment is required, advise the following steps:

a. Treat the immediately threatening condition (maintain ABCD’s - Airways, Breathing, Circulation, Deadly Bleeding).

b. Call the first aid attendant in your area or call Safety & Security at 4190.

c. Advise emergency response personnel of the contamination, nature of injuries and biohazard handling procedures.

d. Ensure that the biohazardous material does not further contaminate the accident victim by moving away from the area of aerosolization and by removal of contaminated clothing.

B. Injection or Sharps Injury with Biohazard Exposure

a. Disinfect the puncture area immediately.

b. Seek immediate treatment at nursing station or hospital emergency department.

C. Personnel Biohazard Decontamination Procedures:

Individual(s) involved directly in the spill should remove garments known or thought to be contaminated and leave the area.

1. External Exposure:

a. Determine the extent of the contamination.

b. Protective clothing such as a lab coat and gloves, and, if necessary, items of street clothing and shoes should be taken off as close as practical and safe to the affected laboratory area then deposited in a biohazard container if they are contaminated.

c. If the face, eyes, or other parts of the body have come into contact with the biohazard, go to a washup or shower area and flush the areas with copious quantities of water for several minutes.

d. Remove contaminated clothing, place in autoclave bag and set aside for autoclaving.

e. Wash contaminated skin thoroughly with mild soap. Gently work lather into contaminated area for three (3) minutes. Rinse thoroughly.
Do not use abrasives, strong detergents or brushes. Further agitation could result in injuring or defatting the skin resulting in an internal contamination.

f. Rinse eyes for 15 - 20 minutes with running water and consult with a physician.

g. Wash mouth repeatedly with running tap water.

h. Seek immediate treatment at nursing station or hospital emergency department.