Wash. Admin. Code § 296-823-099
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:
(l) 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 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 does not use needles for any of the following:
(c) 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:
(d) Blood and tissues of experimental animals infected with bloodborne pathogens.
Parenteral contact. When mucous membranes or skin is pierced by needle sticks, 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 are not 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:
(e) 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 needle sticks 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:
(g) 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.
| Note: | Universal Blood-Body Fluid Precautions, Body Substance Isolation, and Standard Precautions expand on the concept of universal precautions to include all body fluids and substances as infectious. These concepts are acceptable alternatives to universal precautions. |
[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050. WSR 15-23-086, § 296-823-099, filed 11/17/15, effective 12/18/15.]