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Handling Specimens & Contaminated Equipment

8 CCR 5193 also contains some provisions for handling non-waste materials that may be contaminated by bloodborne pathogens, including specimens and equipment.

Blood and OPIM Specimens

Specimens of blood or OPIM must be placed in a labelled, color-coded, and leak-proof container. If the outside of this container becomes contaminated, it must be placed in a second container. This second container must also be labelled, color-coded, and leak-proof. If a specimen can puncture the main container, such as a blood sample stored in a syringe, it must be placed in a secondary, puncture-resistant container.

Contaminated Equipment

If possibly contaminated equipment must be serviced, repaired, or shipped, it must first be examined and decontaminated. Sometimes, decontaminating the equipment can interfere with the equipment's proper servicing (for instance, the decontamination process could stop a manufacturer from being able to tell what made the equipment stop working). If this is the case, the equipment must be labelled, and clearly state which parts of the equipment are still contaminated. This information must be available to anyone involved in the shipping, handling, or servicing of the equipment so that they may take proper precautions.

To learn more about Cal/OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens visit our Cal/OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Online Training web page.

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