Bloodborne Pathogens - 4 Points on Identifying and Managing Occupational Exposure

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Bloodborne pathogens are viruses in the blood that may infect and cause serious diseases if such blood or certain body fluids comes in contact with another person. Employees at healthcare facilities form the majority when it comes to such risks due to the nature of their jobs which requires constant contact with patients and contaminated materials. However there are other occupations too where employees may contract infection due to bloodborne pathogens.

The following points will tell you more about occupational exposure with respect to bloodborne pathogens.

Identifying Occupations: In additions to healthcare there are certain other occupations that are vulnerable to infections caused by bloodborne pathogens.

Public Safety Workers comprising of law enforcement personnel like the police and correctional officers as well as firefighters may have to deal with injured people or carry out rescue that can put them at risk

Laundry workers whether working within a healthcare facility or serving public safety institutions have to handle contaminated bed sheets, gowns or any other reusable materials.

Research personnel, laboratory staff, and people working at blood banks and tissue banks have to constantly work around blood or other samples that can be potentially infected.

Housekeeping staff in any healthcare facility have to continuously clean up any blood and fluid spillages, clear contaminated materials and disinfect the surrounding surface which puts them in a continual risk.

Often the bio-hazardous materials are collected from healthcare facilities by waste handlers who collect, transport and then appropriately dispose of such materials and have to be careful at all times against accidents due to poor storage.

Prepare and Prevent: It is the duty of the employers to identify the possible hazards of their respective occupation and formulate a policy accordingly to deal with it. Complete information and proper training must be provided to its employees. They must be taught on how to carry out their duties effectively while ensuring safety from infections when coming in contact with contaminated materials and instruments. The employees must also be told how the blood or fluids of individuals might contain pathogens that can cause diseases like Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis B and C Virus.

Equipment: A proper set of equipment is in fact the best kind of protection against infection from bloodborne pathogens. Gloves and face masks are common gear that is worn in all of the above occupations. In addition, protective eyewear, gowns and aprons may also be used. These help to avoid any contact with fluids or contaminated materials with your skin, mouth, eyes and nose. It also provides protection if you are injured and have broken skin that can be an entry-way for bloodborne pathogens.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a prominent federal agency that carries out regular inspections of such occupations. Examining policies and procedures, asking for employer's reports, interviewing employees, ensuring sufficient measures for maintaining cleanliness and proper usage of sign and labels are some of the activities carried out by OSHA to ensure all precautions are being taken to avoid infections caused by bloodborne pathogens.

For more information, please visit our bloodborne pathogens website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Greg_Garner

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Managing Your Periods

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One of the biggest changes that occur in a girl during puberty is menstruation or getting periods. Periods usually start between the age of 9 to 13 years. Every girl has a different experience with her periods. For some, the flow lasts for 3 days, while for others it can last for 7 days. Typically periods appear every 28 days, though most doctors consider anywhere from 21 to 35 days as a normal cycle. Regular periods are one of the important indicators of a woman's general and reproductive health.

Given that women have periods for nearly 30 to 40 years of their lives, how do they manage? Periods are associated with a certain degree of discomfort and inconvenience. In earlier days, women would not step out of the house during periods, because of superstition and lack of proper sanitary protection. Today most women carry on with their regular routine, thanks to the various forms of sanitary protection available. These include sanitary pads, tampons and menstrual cups.

Sanitary protection ensures proper hygiene and less risk of infection. To stay comfortable during periods, women should change their pad or tampon regularly. This keeps away any odor and also avoids embarrassing incidents of leakages and staining. Women with active lifestyles and sportswomen generally prefer more robust forms of protection like tampons and menstrual cups, both of which are worn internally.

Apart from taking care of the flow, women also need to deal with mild to extreme discomfort and pain during this time. Stomach cramps, feeling bloated, leg pain, headaches, backaches, acne and fatigue are common menstrual problems. Doctors advice women to stay well hydrated, avoid caffeine based drinks and sugar, and indulge in some form of mild exercise. For painful cramps, external remedies like hot water bottles and heated packs are often used. However, if the pain is extreme or the flow is too heavy, immediate medical consultation is required.

Despite the irritation, it is better than women get their periods every month! Irregular periods mean that there is something wrong with the reproductive system/health of the woman. Drastic changes in body weight, extreme dieting and exercise, stress, illnesses and eating disorders, all affect the regularity of periods. And need medical attention.

Irregular periods can result in Amenorrhea, defined as the absence of menstrual periods. This condition is usually associated with extreme exercise, hormonal imbalance and poor dietary habits. This is also a symptom of eating disorders like anorexia.

The opposite of Amenorrhea is excessive bleeding and prolonged periods. This could be caused by imbalance in the two female hormones estrogen and progesterone, both of which affect the uterus lining. It can also be due to inflammation or infection in the cervix, fibroids or endometriosis.

Dysmenorrhea which is painful and severe periods is another common menstrual problem. It mostly affects teenagers and can interfere with the ability to go about normal activities.

In all of the above cases, it is better to seek professional advice, so as detect serious conditions if any and treat them immediately.

Numerous articles has been written by author Perry Bryan. The article here about periods, menstrual blood stem cells is also one of the best article written by him.