7.6.1.3: Staff Education on Prevention of Bloodborne Diseases

All caregivers/teachers should receive training at employment and annually thereafter as required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on how to prevent transmission of bloodborne diseases, including hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and HIV (1).

RATIONALE

Efforts to reduce risk of transmitting diseases in child care through hygiene and environmental standards in general should focus primarily on blood precautions, limiting saliva contamination (no sharing of utensils, pacifiers, tooth brushes), and ensuring that children are appropriately immunized against HBV. People, including caregivers/teachers, who may be expected to come into contact with blood as a part of their employment, are required to be trained how to protect themselves from bloodborne diseases by their employers and be offered hepatitis B vaccine at no charge to them, within ten working days of initial assignment (1,2).

COMMENTS

If the employee initially declines hepatitis B vaccination but at a later date, while still covered under the acceptable timeline (ten working days), decides to accept the vaccination, the employer should make hepatitis B vaccination available at that time. The employer should require that employees who decline to accept the offer of hepatitis B vaccination sign the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) “Hepatitis B Vaccine Declination” statement (1). The “Hepatitis B Vaccine Declination” statement can be found at http://www.ecels-healthychildcarepa
.org/content/Keeping Safe 07-27-10.pdf.

For additional information regarding HBV and HCV infections, consult the associated chapters in the current edition of the Red Book from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

TYPE OF FACILITY

Center, Early Head Start, Head Start, Large Family Child Care Home, Small Family Child Care Home

RELATED STANDARDS

3.2.3.4 Prevention of Exposure to Blood and Body Fluids

REFERENCES

1. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 2008. Bloodborne pathogens. Title 29, pt. 1910.1030. http://www.osha
   .gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10051.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2005. A comprehensive immunization strategy to eliminate transmission of hepatitis B virus infection in the United States. MMWR 54 (RR16). http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5416a1.htm.