HINCKLEY-FINLAYSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS EXPOSURE CONTROL PLAN
POLICY #420
The Hinckley-Finlayson School District uses the Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plans prepared for the Central Minnesota Educational Cooperative Service Unit by the Braun Intertec Environmental, Inc., to comply with the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens Standard is our district policy and applies to all school employees.
This standard will be on file in the Superintendent’s office as well as in the school nurse’s office, and will be made available to any employee who requests it.
The district will inservice all district employees on bloodborne pathogens, infectious diseases and universal precautions. This inservice training will be offered annually to all new employees, as well as update inservices for all employees.
These inservices will be given to employees who may or may not reasonably be expected to come in contact with human blood or other body fluids in the course of their jobs. There are not any specific tasks or job classifications where potential staff will be inserviced on the following information:
· An overview of the law
· Chain of infection
· Techniques to avoid self-contamination
· Universal precautions
· Engineering and work practices controls
· Hazard to special at-risk groups
· Recommended immunization practices
· Emergency procedures and notification requirements
· Incident reporting
· Post-exposure evaluation and follow-up
· Where to obtain additional information
Hepatitis B vaccine will be offered at no cost to all employees whose job classifications are listed as Category 1 and 2.
Due to the relatively low exposure risks in our district, and since Hepatitis B vaccine is known to be effective after an exposure, we will use an “Accident-driven” or “Post-exposure” policy for all employees in Category 3, whose job description should have no or only occasional exposure due to Good Samaritan occurrences. All employees who have had an exposure incident are to report the incident immediately to the school nurse, the building principal or the superintendent. The school nurse will document the circumstances of the exposure and facilitate the medical evaluation and follow-up treatment. Hepatitis B vaccine will be offered free of charge at this time if the physician recommends it or the affected person requests it. Since the district does supply health insurance, it is expected that this will be accessed to pay for the cost of the immunization. The district will be responsible for the deductible or co-payments portion of the immunization. If the employee does not have health insurance, the district will pay the cost of the immunization.
Records will be kept on all exposure incidents as well as the medical reports evaluating the incident by the school nurse. These will be kept on file for the duration of the employment of the individual plus thirty years, according to the OSHA mandate.
Protective equipment is available for use in all buildings, and good engineering and work practice controls will be emphasized to all employees.
HINCKLEY-FINLAYSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
POLICY: STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES WITH AIDS AND CERTAIN OTHER COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AND INFECTIOUS CONDITIONS
RATIONALE:
Public concern that students and staff of the school district be able to attend the schools of the district without being infected with serious communicable or infectious diseases, including but not limited to HIV, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), and Hepatitis B, require that the School Board adopt measures effectively responding to health concerns while respecting the rights of all students, employees, and contractors, including those who are so infected. (Cross reference district policies regarding non-discrimination on the basis of disability.)
SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICY:
I. Students
It is the policy of the School Board that students with communicable diseases not be excluded from attending school in their regular classrooms so long as their attendance does not create a substantial risk of the transmission of illness to students or employees of the school district. A procedure for minimizing interruptions to learning resulting from communicable diseases will be established by the school district in consultation with community health and private health care providers. Procedures for the inclusion of students with communicable diseases will include review of the educational implications for the student and others with whom he or she comes into contact.
II. Employees
It is the policy of the School Board that employees with communicable diseases not be excluded from attending to their customary employment so long as they are physically, mentally and emotionally able to safely perform tasks assigned to them and so long as their employment does not create a substantial risk of the transmission of illness to students or employees of the school district.
III. Special Circumstances and Conditions
The School Board recognizes that some students and some employees, because of special circumstances and conditions, may pose greater risks for the transmission of infectious conditions than other persons infected with the same illness. Examples include students who display biting behavior, students or employees who are unable to control their bodily fluids, who have oozing skin lesions or who have severe disorders which result in spontaneous external bleeding. These conditions need to be taken into account and considered in assessing the risk of transmission of the disease and the resulting effect upon the educational program of the student or employment of the employee.
When students with AIDS or HIV have conditions such as oozing skin lesions or spontaneous external bleeding, the school will notify the Commissioner of Health and request that an advisory committee be convened to evaluate the student and assist the district with a determination of proper educational placement for the student.
The District shall invite the following members to participate in the advisory committee: the state epidemiologist, a Minnesota Department of Education representative, a pediatrician with expertise in infectious diseases and the student’s primary care physician, as well as members of the student’s District Section 504 Committee, IEP team, superintendent’s designee, the student’s teacher and the school nurse.
The committee will weigh the risks and benefits to the AIDS or HIV infected student and to others, consider the least restrictive appropriate educational placement, and arrange for periodic reevaluation as deemed necessary by the state epidemiologist. The risks to the infected immune-suppressed student shall be determined by the student’s physician.
IV. Precautions
The District will develop routine procedures for handling blood spills at school and for educating employees about these procedures. The procedures shall be developed by cooperation with health professionals, taking into consideration guidelines of the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota Department of Health. (These precautionary procedures shall be consistent with District procedures regarding blood-borne pathogens developed pursuant to the district’s employee right to know policy.)
V. Information Sharing
Employee and student health information shall be shared within the district only with those whose jobs require such information and with those who have a legitimate educational (including health and safety) need to know and shall be shared only to the extent required to accomplish legitimate educational goals and to comply with employees’ right to know requirements. (Cross reference district employee right to know policy regarding infectious agents.)
Employee and student health data shall be shared outside the district only in accordance with state and federal law and with the district’s policies on employee and student records.
VI. Reporting
If a medical condition of student or staff threatens public health, it must be reported to the Commissioner of Health.
VII. Prevention
The district shall, with the assistance of the Commissioners of health and Education, develop or adopt a program to prevent and reduce the risk of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome in accordance with Minnesota Statute 121.203 which includes:
VIII. Vaccination and Screening
The District will develop procedures regarding the administration of Hepatitis B vaccinations and Tuberculosis containment in keeping with current state and federal law.
Approved 11/14/11
Re-Approved 07/06/2015
Re-Approved 1/10/2022
BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS EXPOSURE CONTROL PLAN
POLICY #420
The Hinckley-Finlayson School District uses the Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plans prepared for the Central Minnesota Educational Cooperative Service Unit by the Braun Intertec Environmental, Inc., to comply with the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens Standard is our district policy and applies to all school employees.
This standard will be on file in the Superintendent’s office as well as in the school nurse’s office, and will be made available to any employee who requests it.
The district will inservice all district employees on bloodborne pathogens, infectious diseases and universal precautions. This inservice training will be offered annually to all new employees, as well as update inservices for all employees.
These inservices will be given to employees who may or may not reasonably be expected to come in contact with human blood or other body fluids in the course of their jobs. There are not any specific tasks or job classifications where potential staff will be inserviced on the following information:
· An overview of the law
· Chain of infection
· Techniques to avoid self-contamination
· Universal precautions
· Engineering and work practices controls
· Hazard to special at-risk groups
· Recommended immunization practices
· Emergency procedures and notification requirements
· Incident reporting
· Post-exposure evaluation and follow-up
· Where to obtain additional information
Hepatitis B vaccine will be offered at no cost to all employees whose job classifications are listed as Category 1 and 2.
Due to the relatively low exposure risks in our district, and since Hepatitis B vaccine is known to be effective after an exposure, we will use an “Accident-driven” or “Post-exposure” policy for all employees in Category 3, whose job description should have no or only occasional exposure due to Good Samaritan occurrences. All employees who have had an exposure incident are to report the incident immediately to the school nurse, the building principal or the superintendent. The school nurse will document the circumstances of the exposure and facilitate the medical evaluation and follow-up treatment. Hepatitis B vaccine will be offered free of charge at this time if the physician recommends it or the affected person requests it. Since the district does supply health insurance, it is expected that this will be accessed to pay for the cost of the immunization. The district will be responsible for the deductible or co-payments portion of the immunization. If the employee does not have health insurance, the district will pay the cost of the immunization.
Records will be kept on all exposure incidents as well as the medical reports evaluating the incident by the school nurse. These will be kept on file for the duration of the employment of the individual plus thirty years, according to the OSHA mandate.
Protective equipment is available for use in all buildings, and good engineering and work practice controls will be emphasized to all employees.
HINCKLEY-FINLAYSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
POLICY: STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES WITH AIDS AND CERTAIN OTHER COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AND INFECTIOUS CONDITIONS
RATIONALE:
Public concern that students and staff of the school district be able to attend the schools of the district without being infected with serious communicable or infectious diseases, including but not limited to HIV, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), and Hepatitis B, require that the School Board adopt measures effectively responding to health concerns while respecting the rights of all students, employees, and contractors, including those who are so infected. (Cross reference district policies regarding non-discrimination on the basis of disability.)
SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICY:
I. Students
It is the policy of the School Board that students with communicable diseases not be excluded from attending school in their regular classrooms so long as their attendance does not create a substantial risk of the transmission of illness to students or employees of the school district. A procedure for minimizing interruptions to learning resulting from communicable diseases will be established by the school district in consultation with community health and private health care providers. Procedures for the inclusion of students with communicable diseases will include review of the educational implications for the student and others with whom he or she comes into contact.
II. Employees
It is the policy of the School Board that employees with communicable diseases not be excluded from attending to their customary employment so long as they are physically, mentally and emotionally able to safely perform tasks assigned to them and so long as their employment does not create a substantial risk of the transmission of illness to students or employees of the school district.
III. Special Circumstances and Conditions
The School Board recognizes that some students and some employees, because of special circumstances and conditions, may pose greater risks for the transmission of infectious conditions than other persons infected with the same illness. Examples include students who display biting behavior, students or employees who are unable to control their bodily fluids, who have oozing skin lesions or who have severe disorders which result in spontaneous external bleeding. These conditions need to be taken into account and considered in assessing the risk of transmission of the disease and the resulting effect upon the educational program of the student or employment of the employee.
When students with AIDS or HIV have conditions such as oozing skin lesions or spontaneous external bleeding, the school will notify the Commissioner of Health and request that an advisory committee be convened to evaluate the student and assist the district with a determination of proper educational placement for the student.
The District shall invite the following members to participate in the advisory committee: the state epidemiologist, a Minnesota Department of Education representative, a pediatrician with expertise in infectious diseases and the student’s primary care physician, as well as members of the student’s District Section 504 Committee, IEP team, superintendent’s designee, the student’s teacher and the school nurse.
The committee will weigh the risks and benefits to the AIDS or HIV infected student and to others, consider the least restrictive appropriate educational placement, and arrange for periodic reevaluation as deemed necessary by the state epidemiologist. The risks to the infected immune-suppressed student shall be determined by the student’s physician.
IV. Precautions
The District will develop routine procedures for handling blood spills at school and for educating employees about these procedures. The procedures shall be developed by cooperation with health professionals, taking into consideration guidelines of the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota Department of Health. (These precautionary procedures shall be consistent with District procedures regarding blood-borne pathogens developed pursuant to the district’s employee right to know policy.)
V. Information Sharing
Employee and student health information shall be shared within the district only with those whose jobs require such information and with those who have a legitimate educational (including health and safety) need to know and shall be shared only to the extent required to accomplish legitimate educational goals and to comply with employees’ right to know requirements. (Cross reference district employee right to know policy regarding infectious agents.)
Employee and student health data shall be shared outside the district only in accordance with state and federal law and with the district’s policies on employee and student records.
VI. Reporting
If a medical condition of student or staff threatens public health, it must be reported to the Commissioner of Health.
VII. Prevention
The district shall, with the assistance of the Commissioners of health and Education, develop or adopt a program to prevent and reduce the risk of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome in accordance with Minnesota Statute 121.203 which includes:
- Planning materials, guidelines, and other technically accurate and updated information;
- A comprehensive, technically accurate, and updated curriculum;
- Cooperation and coordination among districts and regional education agencies;
- A targeting of adolescents, especially those who may be at high risk of contracting AIDS, for prevention efforts;
- Involvement of parents and other community members;
- In-service training for appropriate district staff and school board members;
- Collaboration with state agencies and organizations having an AIDS prevention or AIDS risk reduction program;
- Collaboration with local community health services, agencies and organizations having an AIDS prevention or AIDS risk reduction program;
- Participation by state and local students organizations
- The program must not conflict with the health and wellness curriculum
- The District may accept funds for AIDS programs developed and implemented under this section from public and private sources including public health funds and foundations, department professional development funds, federal block grants or other federal or state grants.
VIII. Vaccination and Screening
The District will develop procedures regarding the administration of Hepatitis B vaccinations and Tuberculosis containment in keeping with current state and federal law.
Approved 11/14/11
Re-Approved 07/06/2015
Re-Approved 1/10/2022