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Library: Policy

OKDHS:2-15-31. Definitions

Revised 9-15-07

      The following words and terms, when used in this Part, shall have the following meaning, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

     "Assistant Secretary" means the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, or designated representative.

     "Blood" means human blood, human blood components, and products made from human blood.

      "Bloodborne pathogens (BBP)" means pathogenic microorganisms that are present in human blood and can cause disease in humans.  These pathogens include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

      "Contaminated" means the presence or the reasonably anticipated presence of blood or other potentially infectious materials on an item or surface.

      "Decontamination" means the use of physical or chemical means to remove, inactivate, or destroy BBP on a surface or item to the point where they are no longer capable of transmitting infectious particles and the surface or item is rendered safe for handling, use, or disposal.

      "Engineering controls" means controls, such as sharps disposal containers, self‑sheathing needles, and safer medical devices, such as sharps with engineered sharps injury protections and needleless systems, that isolate or remove the BBP hazard from the workplace.

      "Exposure incident" means a specific eye, mouth, other mucous membrane, non‑intact skin, or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials that results from the performance of an employee's duties.

      "Handwashing facilities" means a facility providing an adequate supply of running potable water, soap, and single-use towels or hot air drying machines.

      "HBV" means hepatitis B virus.

      "HIV" means human immunodeficiency virus.

      "Licensed healthcare professional" means a person whose legally permitted scope of practice allows him or her to independently perform the activities required by Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) Form 207, Communicable Disease Risk Exposure Report.

      "Occupational exposure" means reasonably anticipated skin, eye, mucous membrane, or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials that may result from the performance of an employee's duties.

      "Other potentially infectious materials" means these human body fluids:

    • (A) semen;
    • (B) vaginal secretions;
    • (C) cerebrospinal fluid;
    • (D) synovial fluid;
    • (E) pleural fluid;
    • (F) pericardial fluid;
    • (G) peritoneal fluid;
    • (H) amniotic fluid;
    • (I) saliva in dental procedures;
    • (J) any body fluid that is visibly contaminated with blood; and
    • (K) all body fluids in situations where it is difficult or impossible to differentiate between body fluids.

     "Parenteral" means piercing mucous membranes or the skin barrier through such events as needlesticks, human bites, cuts, and abrasions.

     "Personal protective equipment (PPE)" means specialized clothing or equipment worn by an employee for protection against a hazard.  General work clothes, for example, uniforms, pants, shirts, or blouses, not intended to function as protection against a hazard are not considered PPE.

      "Source individual" means any individual, living or dead, whose blood or other potentially infectious materials may be a source of occupational exposure to the employee.

      "Sterilize" means the use of a physical or chemical procedure to destroy all microbial life including highly resistant bacterial endospores.

      "Universal precautions" means an approach to infection control in which all human blood and certain human body fluids are treated as if known to be infectious for HIV, HBV, and other BBP.

      "Work practice controls" means controls that reduce the likelihood of exposure by altering the manner in which a task is performed, for example, prohibiting recapping of needles by a two-handed technique.

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