osha transporting blood specimens

All specimens must be transported in a sealed biohazard bag. eye and respiratory protection, such as a combination of an approved particulate respirator (e.g., N95 or N100) and eye protection (e.g. Test results may be delayed if labeling discrepancies occur. Please note that this information is based on currently available scientific evidence and is subject to review and change as new information becomes available. – Darcie Hill, Happy patient, Love this lab and the people in it! Physicochemical inactivation of Lassa, Ebola, and Marburg viruses and effect on clinical laboratory analyses. 0000003159 00000 n (2014). Absorbent material sufficient to absorb the entire contents of the inner packaging must be included in the secondary container. trailer << /Size 104 /Info 77 0 R /Root 83 0 R /Prev 172631 /ID[<155ffa3d3fe7afaa14b236fddd12e3dd><155ffa3d3fe7afaa14b236fddd12e3dd>] >> startxref 0 %%EOF 83 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Pages 79 0 R >> endobj 102 0 obj << /S 337 /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 103 0 R >> stream Government of Canada. Fast, professional, and so friendly they are definitely head and shoulders above the other labs in town. If necessary, short-term storage of specimens before shipping should be at 4°C or frozen. (1984). 0000003027 00000 n PROCEDURE: The following principles will govern the agency staff in the transportation of specimens: 1. To reduce the risk of breakage or leaks, do not use any pneumatic tube system for transporting specimens from patients under investigation for EVD.Footnote 4, Packaging, shipping and transport of specimens must comply with the requirements of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations, Transport Canada and the Dangerous Goods Regulations, International Air Transport Association.Footnote 12Footnote 13. Use Universal, Standard Precautions as required by the OSHA Blood Borne Pathogen Standard, (For safety reasons, Northwest Laboratory is prohibited by law to transport). Handling and storing Ebola virus (i.e., cultivated or intentionally collected or extracted virus) is regulated under the Human Pathogens and Toxins Act and is only permitted in a Containment Level 4 facility operating under a pathogen and toxin licence issued by the Public Health Agency of Canada.Footnote 2. 0000000843 00000 n %PDF-1.2 %�� Following the removal of the initial material, the disinfection process should be repeated. As per standard laboratory spill response procedures, appropriate PPE (e.g., PAPR, approved N95 or N100 respirator, and eye protection) should be worn by those involved in the clean-up activity. Storing Clinical Specimens for Ebola Testing . This document is intended to support local risk assessments, specifically for a diagnostic laboratory setting. All reagents should be decontaminated prior to disposal. Assessment of the Risk of Ebola virus Transmission from Bodily Fluids and Fomites. The area should be evacuated and secured, and aerosols allowed to settle for a minimum of 30 minutes. (1992). Concurrent with a request for laboratory services for EVD or other viral hemorrhagic fevers, provinces and territories are requested to notify and provide a clinical history of the patient's illness to the Public Health Agency of Canada Health Portfolio Operations Centre (HPOC) at 1-800-545-7661. Determine the infectious nature of the specimens to be transported. (2015). Available from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/infectious-diseases/nosocomial-occupational-infections/routine-practices-additional-precautions-preventing-transmission-infection-healthcare-settings.html, Government of Canada. Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations (SOR/2001-286). Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 16(4):704-708, World Health Organization (2010). After air drying in the BSC, thin blood smears should be fixed with 100% methanol for 15 minutes, after which the slides should be either dry-heat inactivated (e.g., 95°C for at least 30 minutes, 60°C for at least 1 hour) and/or mounted with coverslips prior to microscopy. 0000004589 00000 n The term “infectious substances” will be used in this document. 0000005206 00000 n Individuals attending to this task should wear protective attire. Laboratories should maintain a log of all individuals who have handled, decontaminated and transported these types of clinical specimens, including waste associated with the specimens. Package specimens in a leak-proof container known as the primary container, such as the test tube or urine cup. Routine Practices and Additional Precautions for Preventing the Transmission of Infection in Healthcare Settings. 0000001289 00000 n Montreal, QC, Canada: International Air Transport Association. 0000001482 00000 n 0000008393 00000 n 0000005912 00000 n 0000001267 00000 n (2018). Facilities that are not regulated by the PHAC may do so on a voluntary basis. For enquiries, contact us. (2018). Would highly recommend to all needing these services! The recommendations for cleaning up spills of blood or body fluids is to cover the spill with absorbent material (e.g., paper towel) and, starting from the outer edges, flooding the area with a 0.5% sodium hypochlorite solution and allowing to sit for 10 minutes for surfaces that can tolerate stronger bleach solutions (e.g., flooring, concrete, steel).Footnote 9 Paper towel and other waste material should be removed to a waste container using tongs. Blood cultures should be prepared in a closed system. Also determine if other materials are present that the Department of Transportation may consider hazardous, such as formaldehyde or dry ice. Collecting Blood Specimens Transporting Blood Patient Blood Management Courses. Retrieved 6/20, 2015 from http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/268772/Interim-Infection-Prevention-and-Control-Guidance-for-Care-of-Patients-with-Suspected-or-Confirmed-Filovirus-Haemorrhagic-Fever-in-Health-Care-Settings,-with-Focus-on-Ebola-Eng.pdf, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Specimens from patients under investigation for EVD should only be carried out in a certified biological safety cabinet (BSC) or other primary containment device, and never on an open bench. After use, analyzers should be disinfected as recommended by the manufacturer, or with a freshly prepared solution containing 0.05% sodium hypochlorite (e.g., 5 mL household bleach [5.25% sodium hypochlorite] into 495 mL water). The name or identifiers on the specimen(s) must match exactly the name or identifiers on the requisition. 0000008926 00000 n If you require assistance with the shipping process, sample requirements, sample shipping conditions, the NML OCD will connect you with the appropriate subject matter experts. 5 stars all day. Potential exposures to these specimens must be reported immediately according to your institution's policy and procedures. Clarification or further information may be requested from the patient's clinician in order to optimize the delivery of the requested laboratory service(s). The Clinical Laboratory does not handle nor transport anatomical specimens. two pairs of gloves (e.g., latex, nitrile, or other similar material); an additional impermeable layer over the lab coat (e.g., laboratory gown, or fluid-resistant gown) ; and. 0000005934 00000 n All waste and PPE, including disposable gloves, impermeable gowns, and protective eye wear, is to be removed immediately after completion of the process, placed in an autoclave bag, and sterilized prior to disposal.Footnote 6. All manipulations should be performed in a certified BSC with the use of appropriate PPE as identified above. The primary container should be enclosed in a secondary, leak-proof container such as a specimen bag. It is recommended that laboratory personnel handling these types of clinical specimens don the following personal protective equipment (PPE): Specimens from patients under investigation for EVD should only be carried out in a certified biological safety cabinet (BSC) or other primary containment device, and never on an open bench.Footnote 1Footnote 3Footnote 4 This includes activities with the potential to create infectious aerosols (e.g., pipetting, aspiration, and slide preparation). Examples of acceptable identifiers include but are not limited to: date of birth, medical record number, social security number, requisition number, accession number, or unique random number. Place the requisition form in the bag facing outward. Licensed facilities are to report exposures to the PHAC without delay. (2007). Journal of Infectious Diseases, 196 (Suppl 2):S142-7, Canadian Council of the Ministers of the Environment. Testing should only be performed by designated personnel, and only in designated laboratory areas and using designated equipment. Centrifugation of infectious material should be carried out using sealed safety cups or sealed rotors that are only opened and unloaded in the BSC. goggles, face shield, or shroud), or a powered air purifying respirator (PAPR). Nucleic acid extractions should be undertaken in a certified BSC in a CL2 laboratory with the use of appropriate PPE as identified above. It is recommended that dipstick tests from patients that are under investigation for EVD be performed only on inactivated blood. 82 0 obj << /Linearized 1 /O 84 /H [ 843 446 ] /L 174399 /E 9156 /N 18 /T 172641 >> endobj xref 82 22 0000000016 00000 n Specimen containers that will be transported to another location should be surface decontaminated using an effective disinfectant prior to packaging. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), if available on-site, may be considered a safer option, as routine extraction procedures (e.g., guanidine thiocyanate-based) are often sufficient to inactivate Ebola virus, but the effectiveness of the inactivation should be confirmed. Pathogen Safety Date Sheet - Ebola Virus. Further general biosafety information may be obtained from the Public Health Agency of Canada by calling 1-800-545-7661.