Follow Standard Precautions

Standard Precautions are guidelines published by the CDC that require the employer and employee to assume that any human blood and body fluids are potentially infectious.

Because it may not be possible to identify clients with infectious diseases, whether or not they look sick, strict infection control practices should be used with all clients. In many instances, clients who are just getting sick or are long-term viral carriers are asymptomatic: meaning that they show no symptoms or signs of infection.

OSHA and the CDC have set safety standards and precautions that protect employees in situations when they could be exposed to blood-borne pathogens.

Precautions include:

• Proper hand washing,

• Wearing of gloves

• and proper handling and disposing of sharp instruments and any other items that may have been contaminated by blood or other body fluids.

Sharps containers are puncture-proof plastic biohazard containers for disposable needles and anything sharp and must be disposed of as medical waste.

❗If the cient does have an open wound or abrasion, do not perform services of any kind.❗

GLOVES

OSHA defines PPEs as "specialized clothing or equipment worn by an employee for protection against a hazard." The hazards this particular standard refers to are bloodborne pathogens, such as hepatitis and HIV;

Gloves are single-use equipment; a new set is used for every client and at times must be changed during the service, according to the protocol.

The first glove is then inside the second one, which has the service side now on the inside against the other glove, and they are disposed of together.

❗When choosing what type of disposable gloves to use, avoid latex due to common allergies to the material.

Exercise caution when using petroleum-based products as well, as petroleum-based gloves degrade on contact and cannot maintain a safe barrier. Nitrile gloves are a strong alternative in both instances.❗