As The Toilet Turns
Custodial/Maintenance Staff Newsletter
September, 2006—Volume 5, Issue 3
Bloodborne Pathogens, Viruses and Bacteria
When you are around anywhere from 800 to 1600 students,
staff, parents, visitors and others on a daily basis, somewhere
along the line you’re sure to be confronted by some virus, bacterium or on occasion blood in one form or another. And being
the custodian, you’re the one most likely to be called when
someone gets sick, has a bloody nose, leaves a mess in the bathroom or some other bodily fluid needs cleaned up. What can
you do to protect yourself?
According to OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) “if you are stuck by a needle or other sharp or get
blood or other potentially infectious materials in your eyes,
nose, mouth, or on broken skin: Immediately flood the exposed
area with water and clean any wound with soap and water or a
skin disinfectant if available. Report this immediately to your
employer. Seek immediate medical attention.”
Furthermore, the following comments regarding bloodborne
pathogens were made by Coastwide labs. “The Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in compliance with
Science Corner
What Are the Four Primary Components of
Whole Blood?
Plasma, white blood cells, red
blood cells and platelets. Plasma constitutes 52 to
62 percent of whole blood. Of the plasma, 91.5
percent is water. The remaining 8.5 percent of
plasma contains proteins, nutrients, hormones,
respiratory gases, electrolytes, vitamins and nitrogenous wastes.
White blood cells, or leukocytes, constitute
less than 1 percent of whole blood. These cells
(Continued on page 3)
its OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard established standard
guidelines to reduce the risk to workers from exposure to HBV
(Hepatitis B Virus) and HIV (AIDS) by contact with blood and
other potentially infectious materials. OSHA requires the use of
an EPA registered disinfectant for use in cleaning and decontaminating surfaces and objects soiled by blood or body fluids.
According to OSHA, in order for a disinfectant to meet the requirements of the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard it
must be effective against HIV and HBV or be effective against
tubercle bacillus (TB).”
Coastwide Labs ran an article some time ago dealing with
this subject. The following excerpts will prove beneficial when
considering safety as regards blood and other pathogens. Although the situations mentioned may be extreme and beyond
what custodians would face on a daily basis, the principles and
safety measures are still valid.
(Continued on page three)
Something Extra!
Inside this issue:
Intriguing Questions to
Ponder
2
Answers to Intriguing
Questions to Ponder from
the August issue
2
It’s In the Contract
2
Why Many Institutions Do
Not Use Chlorine Bleach
2
Another Chance for Gifts
2
Science Corner continued
3
Safety First continued
3
What Makes the Sky Blue?
According to the website, Science Made Simple, “the blue color of the
sky is due to Rayleigh scattering. As light moves through the atmosphere,
most of the longer wavelengths pass straight through. Little of the red,
orange and yellow light is affected by the air.
“However, much of the shorter wavelength light is absorbed by the gas
molecules. The absorbed blue light is then radiated in different directions.
It gets scattered all around the sky. Whichever direction you look, some
of this scattered blue light reaches you. Since you see the blue light from
everywhere overhead, the sky looks blue.
“As you look closer to the horizon, the sky appears much paler in color.
To reach you, the scattered blue light must pass through more air. Some
of it gets scattered away again in other directions. Less blue light reaches
your eyes. The color of the sky near the horizon appears paler or white.”
Paid Holiday: Monday,
September 4th,
Labor Day
As The Toilet Turns
Intriguing Questions to Ponder
September, 2006—Page Two
What do you know about things in the world ? See if you can answer these questions. Check next month’s issue for the answers.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Who are the members of the rock group The Rolling Stones?
Where is the Vatican located?
What is a lepton?
What does the symbol NiMH on a battery stand for?
What is the spice amchur?
It’s In the Contract
Section 7.5.2.—Employees in the maintenance/custodial department who accept
an assignment for extra hours or overtime, may change to a different available
assignment only during the same or following workday.
Section 7.10.—Employees shall be compensated at the regular rate of pay for
actual time spent in District sponsored inservice and/or meetings required by the
District.
Section 7.11.—Employees shall be compensated for work time lost due to taking
physical examinations as scheduled by
the employee’s supervisor. Examination
during non-working hours shall be compensated at the legal minimum rate.
Another Chance for Gifts
Here’s your chance to win again! All
you have to do is send back your answers and see if your name is drawn.
It’s that easy. Custodial and maintenance personnel are eligible. Here are
the questions.
1.
2.
3.
What makes chlorine bleach dangerous?
Name the first 5 digits of pi.
What is dwell time?
Answers to Intriguing Questions to Ponder From the August Issue
1.
2.
What are crenellations? A– The embrasures or top of a battlement that alternates with the merlons. Often found at the top of
castles.
Is the telephone prefix “555” used only in movies? A—
According to the website TV Acres, “the general 555 prefix is an
established feature used in movies and television shows. It was
designed to prevent people from receiving crank calls when a
phone was mentioned on a TV show or movie.”
3.
4.
5.
What does fortissimo mean? A—Used in music to mean in a
very loud manner.
What directions do longitude and latitude run? A—
Longitude lines run from pole to pole. Latitude lines run parallel
to the equator.
What makes a dial tone? A—Most of North America uses two
interfering tones (350 Hz and 440 Hz) to create the dial tone. A
dial tone is the combination of the musical notes A and F.
As The Toilet Turns
September, 2006—Page Three
Continued from Safety First
(Continued from Science Corner)
attack and destroy foreign matter that may be harmful.
Red blood cells, or erythrocytes, constitute between 38 and 48 percent of
whole blood. These cells bring oxygen to tissue to keep it alive and carry
carbon dioxide away.
Platelets, or thrombocytes, make up less than 1 percent of whole blood.
These cells form clots which block wounds preventing blood from exiting
the body.
When these four components are put together, the result is whole blood,
that life-giving fluid that courses through our veins. And since blood carries
away dangerous foreign material thanks to the white blood cells, it is imperative that precautions are always taken when cleaning up blood of any
(Article material taken from Awake!, August, 2006)
sort.
As mentioned, the use of appropriate disinfectant cleaners is a
must and is required to rid a surface of pathogens. Be sure the
cleaner that you are using is such. Observe dwell time, for without
this, the disinfectant is worthless. (Do not use a disinfectant and then
immediately wipe off the surface. (Toilet, urinal, etc.)) The disinfectant must remain on the surface for a least 10 minutes to be effective. Most disinfectants will not water spot or stain when left to simply air dry. But by allowing them to sit (dwell time) the germs are
killed.
By observing safety factors when it comes to blood, pathogens,
and other microscopic organisms, all can stay healthy and help keep
others healthy too. (Note: PPE = Personal Protective Equipment)
Much of the information on safety
this month was
taken from the
Coastwide Labs
website; technical
section.