Universal (Routine) Precautions

You may have heard the term "universal precautions" in connection with preventing the spread of serious illnesses.  The following are some reminders about preventing the spread of bloodborne diseases by observing universal precautions:

• Always treat blood and bodily fluids as potentially infectious
• Wash your hands well after an exposure, even if you have been wearing gloves
• Wear approved gloves made of latex, vinyl or rubber to handle blood or bodily fluids, or when cleaning wounds
• Carry one or more pair of gloves in your vehicle and your first aid kit, in case you need to help someone injured in a vehicle accident
• Properly dispose of these gloves after helping an injured person - do not reuse them
• Don't share personal care items such as razors or toothbrushes
• To clean up spills of blood and other bodily fluids, use a paper towel or other absorbent disposable material, while protecting yourself with gloves. Place the towel in a plastic bag for disposal.
• Use a disinfectant or bleach to clean up the area after removing blood. The concentration should be one part bleach to ten parts water.

If these procedures were followed, it would be unlikely that you would acquire any infectious disease from blood or other body fluids.