Because of the concern on the part of school personnel that some very serious and life threatening illnesses can be spread through contact with blood and other body fluids when an accident occurs in school, it is necessary to publish some precautions that must be inaugurated in our schools.

AIDS is one disease that can be spread in this manner, but there are a wide variety of diseases that can be spread through contact with blood, drainage from scrapes and cuts, feces, urine, vomit, respiratory secretions (nasal discharge) and saliva.

If you have contact with any of these body fluids, you may be at risk of infection from various diseases.  The risk may be low and dependent upon the type of contact made and the type of fluid involved.

It is simply good policy to treat all spills of body fluids as infectious in order to protect personnel from becoming infected.

• How Should Blood and Body Fluid Spills be Handled
  Disposable, waterproof gloves should be worn when you come into direct contact with body fluids (bloody noses, vomit, clothing soiled by incontinence, cuts and scrapes). Gloves used for this purpose should be placed in a plastic bag or lined trash can, secured and disposed of daily.  Wash hands for ten seconds with soap and water after disposing of used gloves.If no gloves are available and your hands come in contact with these fluids, you should wash your hands and other affected skin for ten seconds with soap and water after the direct contact has ended.  All materials used to clean the spill (tissues, paper towels, etc.) should be disposed of in the same manner as the plastic gloves.
• Handwashing
  Proper handwashing is important.  This requires the use of soap and warm water and vigorous washing under running water for approximately ten seconds.  Rinse hands thoroughly and dry them with paper towels or a blow dryer.  DO NOT USE A CLOTH TOWEL.
• Disinfectants
  A solution of ten parts water to one part household bleach will destroy HIV and should be used to clean all spills. This solution should be used to wash all equipment involved in body spill cleanup including mops, buckets, and dustpans.  Any surface involved must be cleaned with the above solution.  This solution should then be disposed of by emptying it down a drain pipe.Contaminated clothes must be laundered with soap and water to eliminate potentially infectious agents.  The addition of bleach will reduce the risk of potential infection.  Clothing soaked with body fluids should be washed separately from other clothing.
• Placement of Gloves
  As a precaution, it would be wise to place plastic gloves in each classroom, lavatory, cafeteria, school hall, nurses’ room, school office, and in a place accessible for volunteers.
• Students
  Many times our students volunteer to clean up accidents in school or assist a friend who has fallen and is bleeding.  Please have teachers explain to them the necessity of not touching blood or any other body fluid with bare hands.  Never ask a student to clean up any body fluid.