Prohibited Practices

8 CCR 5193 prohibits workers from many activities that have been known to cause exposure. Abstaining from these practices is the second-best way to avoid workplace exposure, after implementing engineering controls. The prohibited practices include:

• Cutting or breaking contaminated needles or other sharps
• Bending, recapping, or removing a contaminated sharp from a device, unless:
  • No alternative is feasible, and bending, recapping or removing a sharp is necessary for the procedure
  • The bending, recapping, or removal is done using a one-handed technique or using a mechanical device (such as forceps) to avoid needlestick injury
• Storing contaminated sharps in a way that requires workers to reach by hand into the container where the contaminated sharps are stored
• Reusing contaminated sharps
• Picking up contaminated broken glass by hand (rather than using tongs, forceps, or a broom and dustpan)
• Accessing contaminated sharps containers before they are properly processed or decontaminated
• Opening, emptying, or cleaning sharps containers manually
• Pipetting or suctioning blood or other potentially infectious materials by mouth
• Eating, drinking, smoking, applying makeup or lip balm, or handling contact lenses in a work area where exposure could potentially occur
• Keeping food or drink in refrigerators, freezers, shelves, cabinets, or countertops where blood or other potentially infectious materials are present

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