SECTION 300 - ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
325 INFECTION CONTROL IN BIOLOGY
LABORATORIES
POLICY
It is the policy of Georgia Perimeter College to follow all CDC
guidelines, OSHA, and state regulations related to infection control and
treatment of biohazardous waste to help insure the health and safety of our
employees, faculty, and students.
PROCEDURE
The procedure for ensuring that adequate infection control measures are
taken in Biology Laboratories is as follows:
A.
Blood and other body fluids testing
should be limited to courses where discussion of safe handling techniques are
taught as part of the laboratory procedure.
B. Gloves
must be worn when taking blood, touching blood or other body fluids, or mucous
membranes. Gloves must be changed after
contact with each subject and discarded into marked waste receptacles. Hands and other skin surfaces must be washed
immediately with germicidal soap after removing gloves or if contaminated with
blood or other body fluids.
C. Disposable
lancets, swabs, cotton balls or other items used in sampling body fluids must
be placed in marked waste receptacles lined with heavy plastic bags or
autoclavable bags convenient to the work area in the lab. Waste bags must be removed daily and
autoclaved or incinerated.
D. Glassware,
slides or other reusable items contaminated with blood or other body fluids
must be placed in fresh solutions of Clorox or other appropriate disinfectant.
Work areas must be wiped down with Clorox or other appropriate disinfectant. Contaminated paper waste must be placed in
garbage bags which must be sealed and sent to an incinerator or autoclaved.
E. Mouthpieces
for spirometers must be changed for use by each student and used mouthpieces
discarded by the student into contaminated waste bags. The unit must be cleaned at the end of daily
lab use with an appropriate disinfectant.
Small spirometers should not be used.
F. Earpieces
on stethoscopes must be cleaned before and after use with appropriate
disinfectant. Stethoscopes should not
be used if the user has lesions or open wounds about the face or ears.
G. Clean
eyepieces on microscopes with appropriate germicide before and at the end of
student use. Instructors may wish to
use glasses while helping students with microscope work.
H. In
taking samples of body fluids (throat cultures, saliva or urine specimens), the
person working with another student's sample must wear gloves. Where potential for splatter or splash
exists, the person sampling must use glasses or shield. Persons with cuts or lesions should not take
samples. Any contaminated disposable
items (swabs, etc.) must be placed by student into appropriate disinfectant or
autoclavable disposable bags. It is
recommended that disposable lab aprons or smocks be required for all labs where
splash or splatter potential exists and that they be disposed of as
contaminated wastes.
I. Place
"cut kits," for cleanup of blood from accidental injury, in all labs
or clinics where potential for injury exists.
Cut kits may be assembled from common household items and are in
addition to first aid kits already provided.
Revised by Academic Affairs Policy
Council 4/11/00
Approved by College Advisory
Board 7/27/00