R 325.70007 Work practices.

Rule 7. At a minimum, work practices shall ensure all of the following: (a) All personal protective equipment shall be removed before leaving the work area and shall be placed in an appropriately designated area or container for storage, washing, decontamination, or disposal. (b) If a garment is penetrated by blood or other potentially infectious materials, the garment shall be removed immediately or as soon as feasible. (c) Employers shall provide handwashing facilities that are readily accessible to employees. When provision of handwashing facilities is not feasible, the employer shall provide either an appropriate antiseptic hand cleanser in conjunction with clean cloth/paper towels or antiseptic towelettes. When antiseptic hand cleansers or towelettes are used, employees shall wash hands with soap and running water as soon as feasible. (d) Employers shall ensure that employees wash their hands immediately or as soon as feasible after removal of gloves or other personal protective equipment. (e) Employers shall ensure that employees wash hands and any other skin with soap and water, or flush mucous membranes with water immediately or as soon as feasible following contact of such body areas with blood or other potentially infectious materials. (f) Used needles and other contaminated sharps shall not be sheared, bent, or broken and shall not be recapped or resheathed where other disposal methods are practical. Used needles and other sharps shall not be recapped, resheathed, or removed unless the employer can demonstrate that no alternative is feasible or that such action is required by a specific medical procedure. Needle recapping or removal shall be accomplished by use of a mechanical device or a 1-handed technique. The disposal of needles and sharps shall be accomplished in accordance with the provisions of R 325.70010. (g) Eating, drinking, smoking, applying cosmetics or lip balm, or handling contact lenses is prohibited in laboratories and other work areas where there is a reasonable likelihood of exposure. (h) Food and drink shall not be stored in refrigerators, freezers, shelves, cabinets, or on countertops or benchtops where blood or other potentially infectious material is present or in other areas of possible contamination. (i) All procedures that involve blood or other potentially infectious material shall be performed in a manner that minimizes splashing, spraying, and aerosolization of blood or other potentially infectious material. (j) Mouth pipetting or suctioning is prohibited.