Blood-borne viruses

Blood-borne viruses (BBVs) are biological hazards.

The risks of infection to employees, or others affected by your work, must be assessed.

Risk assessment is key to the management of BBVs.

In industries such as refurbishment, BBVs can be overlooked in a risk assessment.

Background history on building use and environment must be understood and considered during the assessment.

Where a risk of exposure has been identified, you can take simple measures to prevent or control exposure such as:

• practising good personal hygiene and paying particular attention to hygienic hand-washing
• adopting work procedures that avoid the use of sharps
• using sharps equipment with built-in safety devices
• providing and replacing safe disposal equipment for sharps
• promptly decontaminating infected areas, i.e. cleaning up blood or fluid spills
• practising clear procedures for spills clean-up
• consulting, and communicating with staff and their representatives
• training staff about the risks, controls and prevention of infection
• implementing an Infection Control Policy that sets clear guidelines for all

These controls should include the use of appropriate Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), but PPE should not be your only protective measure and is often considered a last resort.

In some situations, immunisation can be a control against hepatitis B (HBV).

This must be determined by your risk assessment and is only a supplement to reinforce other control measures.

First Aiders

The risk of being infected with a BBV while performing first aid is generally low. There have been no recorded cases of HIV or HBV being transmitted during mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

First aiders should have appropriate controls in place to protect them. Therefore, there is no need to withhold treatment due to fear of BBV infection.

If there is a known risk in the workplace, your risk assessment will identify the need for training on preventing BBV transmission. It is usually not necessary for workplace first aiders to be immunized against HBV.

You should take the following risk reduction measures in the workplace:

• cover any cuts or grazes on your skin with a waterproof dressing
• wear suitable disposable gloves when dealing with blood or body fluids
• use suitable eye protection and a disposable plastic apron where splashing is possible
• provide face shields for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (ensure staff are trained to use them)
• wash your hands after each procedure

What should I do if I get exposed to BBVs?

If you are injured or contaminated with blood or other body fluids or suffer from an injury from a sharp which may be contaminated, then:

• treat the wound
  • encourage the wound to gently bleed, ideally holding it under running water
  • wash the wound using running water and plenty of soap
  • dry the wound and cover it with a waterproof plaster or dressing
  • don't scrub the wound whilst you are washing it
  • don't suck the wound
• seek urgent medical advice (for example your Occupational Health Service) as effective prophylaxis (medicines to help fight infection) are available
• when internal processes are not available, go to an accident and emergency department
• report the injury to your employer

Contact information

Please use our contact form for further information about BBVs