Direct or indirect contact with blood or other human body fluids may lead to the transmission of infectious diseases. Actions you need to take while handling blood and human body fluids, in order to prevent the spread of infectious diseases are called Universal Precautions. As healthcare workers in hospitals, clinics, laboratories and housekeeping facilities, you must be extra careful and follow universal precaution guidelines as you handle human body fluids on a daily basis. There are various infectious diseases that can spread as a result of failure to practice universal precautions, namely HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. Any blood that you deal with must be treated as potentially infected. It is necessary to follow these precautions to protect your health.

5 top reasons why you should follow universal precautions are listed below:

– Your health should be very important to you. Shortcuts are not an option. Take care that all your protective clothing is in good shape. All healthcare workers must be trained about the proper procedure involved in putting on and off of protective gear like aprons, gloves, face mask, goggles, etc. Following these universal precautions will definitely keep you safe from infections.

– A patient you deal with may have wounds or broken skin on his body. This increases the chances of his blood coming in contact with you. It is wise to don gloves at all times as it will protect your health by curbing the spread of infection.

– All healthcare employees must be trained to practice good hygiene. Washing of hands with soap and disinfectants must be done prior to and after attending to a patient. Good hygiene prevents various contagious diseases from spreading and will ensure that your health is not compromised.

– Being around sharp instruments requires you to be alert always.Accidents can occur at any time. You may unknowingly cut yourself or rip your protective gear with a needle or sharp instrument. Ifeven a minor injury is unnoticed, infection may spread. Therefore the use of puncture proof bins is advisedfor the disposing of sharp instruments and needles.

– Proper cleaning of work stations is a must and must be supervised by a trained staff member. The floors and walls of the rooms must be cleaned thoroughly with disinfectants to ensure safety for all who work there. Any blood splashes on the walls, floors and furniture must be cleaned properly. OSHA (The Occupational Safety and Health Administration) has guidelines about procedures that individuals dealing with blood or other human body fluids need to follow. You are required to follow these fundamental principles to take care of your health.

Bloodborne pathogens cause bloodborne diseases and are dangerous microorganisms. They can lead to a large number of infectious diseases and affect your health. To avoid this, following universal precautions is essential especially when you deal with potentially infected blood every day. Therefore, it is important that all healthcare workers be taught about universal precautions so that these safety measures become a habit. When it’s about your health, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

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Category: Advice
Keywords: your health, universal precautions