RESOURCES

Biohazard risk & regulation

Pathogens are extremely diverse. Chemical spills need case by case analysis and treatment. Most people are unaware of the exposure risks of dealing with blood, bodily fluids, and chemicals. Any time these biohazards are present, proceed with caution. The risks can, however, be effectively limited by wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and by following established remediation and disinfection protocols as set by law and industry best practice. Blood is never ‘just blood’.

Employer responsibilities

With the risks associated with biohazards, organisations have a legal and ethical obligation to protect their employees and customers. Millions of workers in the health care industry and related occupations are at risk from occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens and other potentially infectious material. This number is even greater when accounting for employees from other industries, such as hospitality, janitorial services, and disaster restoration. It is important for all organisations to understand that they are responsible for their employees’, customers’, and members’ safety when it comes to biohazard exposure.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) standards

Recommended equipment includes gloves, full-body suits, booties, safety goggles or full-face respirators. All equipment must be changed regularly to prevent employee exposure and cross-contamination. Initial and continual training is given to appropriately put on and take off equipment.

Biohazard removal, medical waste storage, & transportation

Regulations dictate and indicate as to how blood and biological or hazardous materials should be handled and disposed of.

Remediation companies cleaning up blood spills must

1. Use approved chemicals,
2. Strictly adhere to the directions provided by the chemical manufacturer which are the conditions under which the usage is approved,
3. Remove any biological materials from the hard surface prior to using the disinfectant
4. Spray only hard, non-permeable surfaces.

Blood on carpeting cannot be thoroughly disinfected. Carpet is a soft, permeable surface and no disinfectant has yet to prove adequate to properly disinfect soft surfaces. Therefore, the affected surface must be removed and disposed of as regulated medical waste, which we will take care of.

National environmental agencies have specific regulations as to how medical waste should be handled, packaged, labelled, transported, manifested, and disposed of. Containers must be properly labelled and tracked. The waste must then be disposed of according to hazmat standards, which typically provides for disposal through autoclaving or incineration.

Those who generate, transport, store, or dispose of medical waste must be licensed to do so. Employees must be trained on the regulations under the licence and must adhere to proper exposure regulations when handling the medical waste packages.

These processes are the foundation by which HAZGIENE operates and makes use of when performing biohazard remediation services.

Biohazard statistics

Biohazards refer to biological substances that pose a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily that of humans. The four categories of biohazards are microbiological, human bodily fluids, animal wastes and pathological waste. If not correctly treated, these biohazards can cause serious health issues leading to death. They can even set off epidemics.

Did you know…

• Some strains of E. coli can live for more than 15 weeks on wet surfaces and more than 4 days on hard, dry surfaces. Almost everyone has some risk of infection. An estimated 45 000 people are infected each year, and 740 are fatal
• Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that is typically transmitted by contact with an infected person, contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces. Norovirus can survive for days or weeks on hard surfaces
• C. difficile is a bacterium that can live for months on hard surfaces and fabrics. Each year about a half million people get sick from C. diff. In recent years, these infections have become more severe and difficult to treat, leading to more than 29 000 deaths
• MRSA, a super bug, is caused by a type of staph bacteria that has become resistant to the antibiotics used to treat ordinary staph infections. MRSA is highly contagious and can survive for weeks on surfaces
• Almost 4.4 million people in South Africa are infected with Hepatitis B and C. Hepatitis B is 100 times more infectious than the AIDS virus, while Hepatitis C can survive outside the body at room temperature for up to 3 weeks. Any blood spills, including dried blood, can be infectious
• There are an estimated 7.7 million people in South Africa living with HIV. This is the highest in the world. Every year 250 000 people are infected