Controls

Applying body art with needles raises the risk for the transmission of bloodborne pathogens. Because of the associated risks, engineering and work practice controls must be in place to eliminate or minimize employee exposure.

Controls must be reviewed on a regular schedule to ensure their effectiveness. Controls include standards that regulate processes such as handwashing, as follows:

• Employers must provide handwashing facilities that are readily accessible to employees.
• When it is not possible to provide handwashing facilities, the employer must provide either an appropriate antiseptic hand cleanser in conjunction with clean cloth, paper towels, or antiseptic towelettes. When antiseptic hand cleansers or towelettes are used, hands must be washed with soap and running water as soon as feasible.
• Employers must make sure that employees wash their hands immediately or as soon as feasible after removal of gloves or other PPE.
• Employers must make sure that employees wash hands and any other skin with soap and water, or flush mucous membranes with water immediately or as soon as feasible following contact of such body areas with blood or OPIM.

Controls also provide direction for managing regulated waste and include the following examples:

• All procedures involving blood or OPIM must be performed in such a manner as to minimize splashing, spraying, spattering, and generation of droplets of these substances.
• Contaminated needles and other contaminated sharps cannot be bent, recapped, or removed unless the employer can demonstrate that no alternative is feasible. Such bending, recapping, or needle removal must be accomplished using a mechanical device or a one-handed technique. Immediately or as soon as possible after use, contaminated reusable sharps must be placed in appropriate containers until properly reprocessed. These containers must be:
  • Puncture-resistant
  • Labeled or color-coded
  • Leak-proof on the sides and bottom

Controls help reduce infection and keep the work area clean. They include rules about eating and drinking, as follows:

• Do not eat, drink, smoke, or apply cosmetics or lip balm in work areas where there is a reasonable likelihood of occupational exposure.
• Do not keep food in refrigerators, freezers, shelves, cabinets, or on countertops or benchtops where blood or OPIM are present.

To learn more about Body Art Bloodborne Pathogens visit our Bloodborne Pathogens Tattoo Artist & Body Piercers Online Training web page.