29 CFR 1910.1030: Bloodborne pathogens

Question 1

A phlebotomist finishes a draw and removes her gloves. She has no visible contamination on her hands, and she plans to start the next patient's paperwork right away and wash up later at the end of her shift. What does the standard require?

1. AWash hands immediately or as soon as feasible after removing gloves or other PPE
2. BWash hands only if visible blood is seen on the skin after glove removal
3. CWash hands at the end of the shift, provided clean gloves are worn for each patient
4. DUse hand sanitizer once per hour in place of washing, since no skin contact with blood occurred

Question 2

A safety manager hires an outside trainer to deliver the annual bloodborne pathogens session at a dental clinic. The trainer is a certified general-industry instructor but has never worked in or studied healthcare settings. Which requirement of the standard is most at risk of not being met?

1. AThe trainer must be knowledgeable in the subject matter of the training elements as it relates to the workplace the training will address
2. BThe trainer must be an employee of the clinic rather than an outside contractor
3. CThe trainer must hold a current hepatitis B vaccination record
4. DThe trainer must be a licensed physician or registered nurse

Question 3

A clinic's bloodborne pathogens training for a phlebotomist was completed on March 10 of last year. In January of this year, the clinic introduced a new safety-engineered blood collection device that changes how the phlebotomist performs venipuncture and handles sharps. It is now February 15 of this year, and the phlebotomist has not yet used the new device. Which action does the standard require?

1. AWait until the March 10 annual retraining date, since the previous training is still within one year
2. BProvide a full repeat of the original training course, because any procedure change restarts the training cycle
3. CProvide additional training addressing the new exposures created by the new device, even though the annual retraining date has not yet arrived
4. DProvide no further training, since a safer device reduces exposure and the employee already completed training

Question 4

A hospital ships contaminated linens to an off-site commercial laundry. The hospital does not use Universal Precautions for all soiled laundry, and the commercial laundry does not use Universal Precautions for all laundry it handles. A housekeeping supervisor proposes sending the linens in ordinary unmarked bags to avoid confusing the laundry's staff. The linens from the surgical suite are also saturated with blood and are likely to leak through the bag. Which approach is required for these linens?

1. AUse bags or containers that are labeled or color-coded as required, and, because the linens are wet with a likelihood of soak-through, use bags or containers that prevent soak-through or leakage to the exterior
2. BUse labeled or color-coded bags only, since leak-resistance is needed only when linens are sorted or rinsed at the receiving laundry
3. CRinse the blood from the linens in the surgical suite to reduce the leakage risk, then ship them in standard bags with a label
4. DUse unmarked bags, because the laundry's own staff will wear gloves and PPE when handling all incoming linens

Question 5

An outpatient clinic is replacing its conventional syringes with a safety-engineered product. The safety manager, the nursing director, and the purchasing manager compared three products and chose one. The staff nurses who give injections every day were not asked for input, and nothing about the selection has been added to the Exposure Control Plan. What must the clinic do to meet the standard?

1. ANothing further, because the managers who evaluated the products are responsible for the plan and can select controls on behalf of staff
2. BSolicit input only from employees who have had a needlestick injury, and keep the record in the purchasing file
3. CObtain the manufacturer's written evaluation of the device and attach it to the plan in place of employee input
4. DSolicit input from the non-managerial nurses who provide direct patient care and document that solicitation in the Exposure Control Plan