KEEPING YOURSELF SAFE

From Those Nasty, Dirty, Downright Disgusting Germs

(This is not an accepted bloodborne pathogen training, but is intended to discuss general avoidance of communicable disease.)

Those Nasty Germs

Many common contagious illnesses can be prevented at school by good hand washing and covering your cough.

Three diseases found in blood are HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. These diseases can be avoided by observing Standard Precautions.

Standard Precautions

Treat all blood and body fluids (except sweat) as if they are infectious.

Keeping Yourself Safe

Call a building custodian for body fluid clean-up.

Keeping Yourself Safe

Instruct injured person in SELF-CARE whenever possible.

Send injured or ill students to the health office

Keeping Yourself Safe Provide assistance safely if necessary. Avoid contact with body fluids. USE GLOVES and other barriers. Wash hands after glove removal.

Keeping Yourself Safe Hand washing

remains the most important (and easiest) practice used to prevent disease !

Use soap and water for 20 seconds.

To prevent the spread of airborne disease, COVER YOUR COUGH with a tissue or cough into your sleeve.

Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose, and mouth.

Teach your students to do the same!

Keeping Yourself Safe

Keeping Yourself Safe Employees that are routinely exposed to

blood and body fluids are offered the Hepatitis B vaccine at no cost and must take a yearly bloodborne pathogen training.

Contact your supervisor if you are concerned about your risk.

What are you going to do for:

Bleeding? Vomiting? Urine or diarrhea? Don’t panic . . .

What to do for Bleeding: Have the student apply

pressure using a tissue or paper towel over the injury.

Retrieve your gloves from the first aid kit.

Call the nurse if the student is bleeding severely.

What to do for bleeding continued

Send the student to the health office if the bleeding can easily be controlled.

Call the custodian to clean up if there is blood on any surfaces in the classroom.

Keep the other students away from the area.

What to do for Vomiting: Give the student a waste basket or bucket

and send to the health office.

Call the custodian to clean up.

What to do for Urine or Diarrhea

Send the student to the health office.

Call the custodian to clean the surface where the student was sitting, and the surrounding area.

Blood Exposures May Occur When:

Human bite breaks the skin. (most common school exposure) Puncture of the skin with a

contaminated item (needles, razor, etc.). Blood splashes in eyes, nose, or mouth. Blood that comes in contact with a skin

opening.

If You Have a Blood Exposure

Flush/wash exposed area with soap & water and seek medical care within 24 hours!

Report exposure to your supervisor. See your school nurse ASAP. File out the online employee accident

form.

Pop Quiz, Question #11. What is the most important action you

can take to decrease your chance of illness?

a. Hand washingb. Frequent doctor visitsc. Take a daily vitamin

Pop Quiz Answer #1

The correct answer is . . . a. Hand washing!

About half of all communicable illness could be prevented with good hand washing.

Pop Quiz, Question # 22. What should you do when there is any

blood or body fluids present in your room?a. Call the superintendent to log your complaint.b. Call the custodian for clean up and disinfection, and keep all students away.c. Call OSHA.

Pop Quiz Answer #2

Correct answer is . . .

b. Call the custodian for clean up and disinfection, and keep all students away.

Pop Quiz, Question # 33. “Standard Precautions” means

a. We always take precautions for safety

reasons. b. A set of regulations designed to keep us safe.c. Treat all blood and body fluids as if they are infected with disease.

Pop Quiz Answer #3 Correct answer is . . .

c. Treat all blood and body fluids as if they are infected with disease.

Avoid direct contact with blood and body fluids. Always use a barrier device such as gloves or a towel if assistance must be provided.

Thank you

Thank you for helping us all stay

safe and well!

Robbinsdale School Nurses