Guidance

Blood-borne viruses: protection of health care workers

Measures based on EAGA and AGH recommendations to protect clinical health care workers against occupational infection with blood-borne viruses.

• From: Department of Health and Social Care
• Published: 15 April 1998

Documents

Guidance for clinical health care workers: protection against infection with blood-borne viruses

PDF, 96.5 KB, 29 pages

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Details

This guidance:

• is based on the recommendations of the Expert Advisory Group on AIDS (EAGA) and the Advisory Group on Hepatitis (AGH)
• may be used to produce guidelines for allied occupations, eg those dealing with contaminated equipment who may be exposed to a risk of blood-borne virus (BBV) infection at work
• provides advice on the disposal of clinical waste, and the labelling and transport of specimens that have implications for the safety of others
• covers known BBVs including HIV, hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus
• shows the practical advantages in adopting common infection control policies to prevent the transmission of BBVs
• draws on work done by the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens (ACDP) and the Microbiology Advisory Committee

Closely following the recommendations will provide protection from BBV infection to patients and others in the health care setting.

Published 15 April 1998