Bayer HealthCare RapidPoint 400 Series, Service Manual, Page: 387 / 458

Rev. C Biohazards and Warnings 387
Biohazards and Warnings
This appendix describes the precautions required when handling
biohazardous materials. It defines electrical warning statements
that are
found throughout this manual. It explains the seriousness of the hazard
and the action(s) to take to avoid these conditions.
Protecting Yourself from Biohazards
This information summarizes the established guidelines for handling
laboratory biohazards. This summary is based on the guidelines
developed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC), the NCCLS Document M29-A,
Protection of
Laboratory Workers from Instrument Biohazards and Infectious Disease
Transmitted by Blood, Body Fluids, and Tissue,
and the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard.
1-3
Use this summary for general information only. It is not intended to replace
or supplement your laboratory or hospital biohazard control procedures.
By definition, a biohazardous condition is a situation involving infectious
agents biological in nature, such as the hepatitis B virus, the human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and the tuberculosis bacterium. These
infectious agents may be present in human blood and blood products and
in other body fluids.
The following are the major sources of contamination when handling
potentially infectious agents:
• needlesticks
• hand-to-mouth contact
• hand-to-eye contact
• direct contact with superficial cuts, open wounds, and other skin
conditions that may permit absorption into subcutaneous skin layers
• splashes or aerosol contact with skin and eyes
To prevent accidental contamination in a clinical laboratory, strictly adhere
to the following procedures: