6.14.1 – Infection Control: Universal Standard Precautions

The Center for Disease Control recommends that all health care workers take blood and fluid precautions with all individuals.  These universal precautions protect personnel and individuals from the spread of infections.

The following guidelines are in effect:

• Wear disposable gloves when drawing blood, performing finger sticks, and cleaning blood from the body area
• Bending, recapping or removing contaminated needles is prohibited.  Self-sheathing needles (syringes) are to be used and immediately discarded into accessible sharps containers
• Wear disposable gloves when in contact with seeping wounds, semen, vaginal secretions, diarrheal stool, emesis, and urine with blood, feces, wound drainage, and blood sputum/saliva
• Change gloves after contact with each individual.  Wash hands after removing gloves
• Disposable razors are for single time use only and are not to be re-capped.  Disposable razors will be discarded in the puncture-resistant containers.
• Wear masks and protective eyewear or face shields during procedures that are likely to generate droplets of blood, body fluids containing visible blood, or other fluids to which Universal Precautions apply, to prevent exposure to mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, and eyes.
• Wear gowns and aprons during procedures that are likely to generate splashes of blood, body fluids containing visible blood, or other fluids to which Universal Precautions apply.
• When working directly with Positive COVID 19, staff must wear appropriate protective equipment including N95 masks, face shields or goggles/eyewear, shoe, and head covers, gowns, gloves, etc.
• ALL staff must wear facial coverings for reduction in transmission of COVID -19 per the regulatory standards. 

Last Revised: 6/6/22