Collision Repair Training | United States
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Current Events/News: Advantage Online: 2002 Archives
CLEANING UP BLOOD December 30, 2002 -When a vehicle arrives at a collision repair facility or when a towing service picks up a vehicle with bloodstains, it raises serious concerns. These concerns are with diseases that can be carried in blood, called blood borne pathogens (BBP). These include HIV or Hepatitis B viruses. HIV can live up to 30 minutes, or longer if the blood is pooled. Hepatitis B can live up to two weeks in a bloodstain according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is well aware of the risks involved in handling blood. There is a separate OSHA standard for BBPs (29 CFR 1910.1030) that establishes specific requirements for labeling, containment, and disposal of waste material contaminated with blood. The BBP standard states that no employee can be placed in a position to be exposed to blood spills without first:
OSHA has the potential to fine facilities for failure to have policies in place. Fines can range up to $70,000 for willful offenses. The Problem With Blood The problem with blood is that it is hardly ever safe to handle. Like any waste, fresh, wet blood carries the highest risk of infection. But dry blood can flake and be inhaled, or can become liquid again when contacting moisture, such as moisture from your eyes, nose, or mouth. Because dry blood can go airborne, cleaning a vehicle with bloodstains requires removal of the air ducts and cleaning them separately. Airborne particles also requires the wearing of respirators and eye protection when cleaning up blood. The air ducts, an instrument panel, or anything hard that isn’t absorbent can be considered disinfected after it is properly cleaned, but cloth seats can never be considered 100% disinfected. There are processes that can be used to clean them, but because the nap of the material holds parts of the spill, you can never guarantee total disinfection. Rubber gloves are no longer the magical protective clothing item that protect against all diseases. Every situation needs to be handled as if the most dangerous disease was contained in the stain and doing this will help limit the danger facing the person cleaning. Biohazard Cleaning Organizations One way for a facility to handle blood stains is to sublet the cleanup on an as-needed basis. There are organizations that specialize in the cleanup of biohazardous waste at crime scenes, disaster sites, and (vehicle) accident scenes. Service is guaranteed usually within 24 hours. One organization has facilities located in Canada and 47 of the 50 states (www.americanbiorecovery.org). As a service, these same organizations will provide the required BBP training. This can be done at a company’s workplace for technicians who are at high risk of exposure. Only after the appropriate training has been provided can an employer require that someone clean blood stains, contain and store the infected articles, and through the proper services, dispose of contaminated items. Conclusion Bloodstains and other bodily fluids are risky business. ONLY properly trained persons should handle or perform blood spill cleaning tasks. |
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