informed if the body poses an infectious risk. It should not be assumed by the funeral directors that the use of a body bag alone implies the cadaver is infected. Immunization All funeral directors and embalmers and staff must ensure their immunizations are up to date. They should be protected against: ● Tetanus. Primary immunization should have been received as a child. A reinforcing dose ten years after the primary course and again ten years later maintains a satisfactory level of protection which will probably be lifelong. ● Poliomyelitis. A full course should have been received as a child and, generally, no further boosters are required. No adult should remain unimmunized against poliomyelitis. If a full course of either of these two vaccines was not received as a child you should consult your physician to complete the course. ● Tuberculosis. Immunization should have been received in the early teenage years – there will usually be a scar on the upper arm to indicate this. ● Hepatitis B. It is recommended that all staff should receive a full course of immunizations against hepatitis B and have their antibody level checked. It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that their staff are protected. Gloves Gloves should be made of latex, nitril, rubber or other water impervious materials. If glove material is thin, or flimsy, double gloving can provide an additional layer of protection. Also, if you know you have cuts or sores on your hands, you should cover these with a bandage or similar protection as an additional precaution before donning your gloves. Always inspect your gloves for tears or punctures before putting them on. When taking contaminated gloves off, do so carefully. Make sure you don’t touch the outside of the gloves with any bare skin, and be sure to dispose of them in a proper container so that no one else will come in contact with them, either. Goggles Anytime there is a risk of splashing or vaporization of contaminated fluids, goggles and/or other protection should be used to protect your eyes. Again, bloodborne pathogens can be transmitted through the thin membranes of the eyes so it is important to protect them. Splashing could occur while cleaning up a spill, during embalming, or while providing first aid or medical assistance. Face shield Face shields may be worn in addition to goggles to provide additional face protection. A face shield will protect against splashes to the nose and mouth. Aprons Aprons may be worn to protect your clothing and to keep blood or other contaminated fluids from soaking through to your skin. Normal clothing that becomes contaminated with blood should be removed as soon as possible because fluids can seep through the cloth and come in contact with skin. Contaminated laundry should be handled as little as possible, and it should be placed in an appropriately labeled bag or container until it is decontaminated, disposed of, or laundered. though invasive procedures. They are not easily removed by washing your hands and are usually aerobic, organisms. Aerobic means that the organism needs oxygen to survive. Transient organisms are much the opposite of resident organisms. They survive less than 24 hours on the skin, and can easily be removed by washing your hands and are usually anaerobic, organisms. Anaerobic means that the organism cannot survive for long in the presence of oxygen. They use the hands as a short-lived mode of transportation while looking for
opportunity to view their deceased can be a source of great distress. If there is any doubt as to the validity of the information given to a funeral director, from whatever source, it is strongly recommended that they seek advice from the proper authorities. Guidelines for viewing infected bodies Medium and low risk In cases of a known or suspected contagious disease where relatives have expressed a wish to view/kiss the body, providing that there is no obvious risk of exposure to potentially infected body fluids; the head, shoulders and arms may be exposed. High risk There are only four diseases specified within the high risk categories: Anthrax, plague, rabies and viral hemorrhagic fever. These remain extremely rare and are the only diseases for which cadavers should not be viewed. There may be occasions, such as severe trauma, or decomposition of bodies, when funeral directors, in discussion with families advise against viewing. Guidelines for handling cadavers with infections As well as using body bags for medium/high risk cases, some hospitals, as a continuation of universal precautions, have adopted the use of body bags for all deceased patients. Others are using body bags where a possibility of continued body fluid leakage is expected. Funeral directors should be routinely
Personal protective equipment, work practices and engineering controls Universal precautions is the name to describe the prevention strategy in which all blood and potentially infectious materials are treated as if they are, in fact, infectious, regardless of the perceived status of the source individual. In other words, whether or not you think the blood/body fluid is infected with bloodborne pathogens, you treat it as if it is. This approach is used in all situations where exposure to blood or potentially infectious materials is possible. This also means that certain engineering and work practice controls shall always be utilized in situations where exposure may occur. Personal protective equipment
Probably the first thing to do in any situation where you may be exposed to bloodborne pathogens is to ensure you are wearing the appropriate personnel protective equipment (PPE). For example, embalmers should always wear latex or protective gloves. This is a simple precaution taken in order to prevent blood or potentially infectious body fluids from coming in contact with their skin. Rules to follow: ● Always wear personal protective equipment in exposure situations. ● Remove PPE that is torn or punctured, or has lost its ability to function as a barrier to bloodborne pathogens. ● Replace PPE that is torn or punctured. ● Remove PPE before leaving the work area. If you work in an area with routine exposure to blood or potentially infectious materials, the necessary PPE should be readily accessible. Contaminated gloves, clothing, PPE, or other materials should be placed in appropriately labeled bags or containers until it is disposed of, decontaminated, or laundered. It is important to find out where these bags or containers are located in your area before beginning your work. Personal hygiene: Hand washing Hand washing is one of the most important (and essential) practices used to prevent transmission of bloodborne pathogens. Hands or other exposed skin should be thoroughly washed as soon as possible following an exposure incident. Resident and transient organisms The two types of organisms found on the skin are resident and transient. Resident organisms can be individual’s normal colonizing flora. They live on the skin, growing and multiplying, but rarely cause infections except when introduced into the body
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Book Code: FFL1223
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