II. D. 3. a. Occupational Exposure to Blood Borne Pathogens
The Department shall continue to develop plans and establish procedures to control exposure to blood borne pathogens to minimize or eliminate potential exposure by certain categories of faculty members and students in high-risk occupational training programs. Each state Technical College shall have in place a state-approved Blood Borne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan designed to minimize or eliminate faculty and student exposure to blood and other potentially infectious body materials in certain high-risk occupational training programs.
Requirements under this policy shall be reviewed annually and shall be revised with regard to U.S. Public Health and Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommendations and guidelines as well as requirements established by the Georgia Department of Human Resources under O.C.G.A. §31-12-13 G Bloodborne Pathogens.
An updated plan must be in place by September 1 of each year to reflect changes in the aforementioned requirements, newly approved instructional programs to be covered by this policy and changes in technology, which may afford additional protection to faculty and students.
Each Technical College shall appoint an administrative or faculty staff member to monitor compliance with the college exposure control plan. This person may be either an administrator holding professional medical credentials or an allied health or nursing faculty member holding professional medical credentials with knowledge of infectious diseases and infection control practices.
The Commissioner shall approve Technical College exposure control plans annually prior to the September 1 effective date.
The Department shall provide copies of appropriate excerpts from O.C.G.A. §31-13-12 and 29 C.F.R. 1910.1030 to each Technical College for information and compliance.
Technical College faculty and students in covered occupational areas shall follow procedures specified in the college exposure control plan when performing procedures, tasks, or activities which involve a potential risk of accidental exposure to blood or other potentially infectious body materials.
Accidental exposures shall be documented and followed up according to the college exposure control plan. Costs associated with the follow-up for an exposed faculty member or student shall be the responsibility of the Technical College.
Covered faculty and students shall be offered the Hepatitis B vaccination series prior to being assigned to instructional tasks or activities, which involve the risk of potential exposure. The vaccine shall be offered at no cost to faculty in covered occupational areas. Students shall be responsible for the cost of the vaccination series.
Covered faculty and students declining the Hepatitis B vaccination series shall sign a mandatory Hepatitis B Vaccination Declination Form, as specified in Appendix A, 29 C.F.R. 1910.1030. This form may be modified to reflect student responsibility for costs associated with receiving the vaccine.
Proof of Hepatitis B vaccination for faculty and students shall be documented on a form provided by the college and shall be signed by a licensed physician or by an authorized county health official.
Covered faculty and students shall be provided training which includes information on the Hepatitis B vaccine, including information on its efficacy, safety, method of administration and the benefits of being vaccinated. This training is to be completed prior to faculty and students being offered the vaccine.
The general authority for Part 1910.1030 of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) is contained within Sections 6 and 8, Occupational Safety and Health Act, 29 U.S.C. 653, 655, 657.
Definitions
The term Bloodborne Pathogens, as defined in O.C.G .A. §31-12-13 G (a) (1), are "pathogenic microorganisms that are present in human blood and can cause disease in humans. These pathogens include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B virus, (HBV), hepatitis C virus, (HCV), and human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV)."
An occupational exposure to blood borne pathogens shall be any exposure to blood or other potentially infectious body materials by a faculty member of student in either an instructional lab activity or in an occupational-based instructional setting as a clinical rotation or other work-site.
The state-approved exposure control plan shall be a comprehensive written document which shall include those elements found in O.C.G.A. §31-12-13 G Bloodborne Pathogens and in 29 C.F.R. 1910.1030 Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens - Final Rule: Occupational Health and Safety Administration, December 1991. This plan shall govern faculty and student activities when performing tasks or procedures that involve the potential for exposure to blood or other potentially infectious body materials in both classroom lab and clinical settings.
The Hepatitis B vaccination series shall include a series of injections, including booster injections as specified by the U.S. Department of Public Health.
Covered faculty members and students are those identified by the college exposure control plan as having potential for routine or unplanned exposure to blood and/or other potentially infectious body materials pathogens in the normal conduct of faculty duties or student instructional activities.
References
O.C.G.A. §31-12-13 G Bloodborne Pathogens
Occupational Safety and Health Act, 29 U.S.C. 653, 655, 657
Adopted: August 5, 1993
Revised: March 30, 2001
Code: 04-03-17
Approved