Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan, Sharps, and Medical Waste
The Agency’s written exposure control plan under the OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard, which North Carolina has adopted: exposure determination, universal precautions and safer sharps, protective equipment at no cost, hepatitis B vaccination within 10 working days of initial assignment or a signed declination, immediate confidential post-exposure evaluation that follows North Carolina’s source-testing rules, training at assignment and every year, the sharps injury log and record retention, and North Carolina’s medical waste rules for sharps containers and regulated medical waste.
- Policy number
- NC-HH-IC-02
- Version
- 1.0
- Main rule
- 29 CFR §1910.1030
- Library
- North Carolina home health · 57 policies
- Category
- Infection control
- Sections
- 27
In short
- Treat all blood and body fluids as infectious. Wear the protective equipment the Agency gives you at no cost.
- Use the safety feature on needles and lancets, never recap by hand, and drop sharps at once into a sharps container. Bring full Agency containers back to the office.
- The hepatitis B vaccine is free. It is offered within 10 working days of starting work with exposure. If you decline, you sign a declination and can still get it later.
- After a needlestick or splash: wash with soap and water or flush with water, call the supervising nurse at once, and go for a medical evaluation right away.
- Fill in the exposure incident report the same day. Your medical information stays confidential.
- Bloodborne pathogens training is required when you start and every year.
What's inside
27 sections. The full text comes with the One-time Policy Pack.
- Terms of Reference
- 1. Purpose
- 2. Scope
- 3. Definitions
- 4. Policy Statement (29 CFR §1910.1030; 10A NCAC 13J .1003(a))
- 5. The Exposure Control Plan and Its Yearly Review
- 6. Exposure Determination
- 7. Universal Precautions, Engineering Controls and Work Practices
- 8. Protective Equipment, Housekeeping and Laundry
- 9. Sharps Containers
- 10. Regulated Medical Waste at the Agency’s Offices
- 11. Hepatitis B Vaccination
- 12. After an Exposure Incident
- 12.1 First aid and reporting
- 12.2 Confidential medical evaluation and follow-up
- 12.3 Testing the source patient under North Carolina rules
- 12.4 Information for the evaluating provider, the written opinion, and review of the incident
- 13. Biohazard Labels
- 14. Bloodborne Pathogens Training
- 15. Exposure Records and the Sharps Injury Log
- 16. Responsibilities
- 17. Records and Compliance Monitoring
- 18. Staff Training
- 19. References
- 20. Related Policies and Forms
- 21. Approval
- 22. Revision History
An inspector may ask
- Show me your exposure control plan. When was it last reviewed, and how did frontline staff have a say in choosing safer devices?
- Which job classifications in your agency have occupational exposure?
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