Bellin College adopts the following universal precautions for working with bodily fluids:
Universal Precautions for Students Working with Blood
- Disinfect work area prior to the procedure and place clean paper towels in the center of the work area.
- Wash hands thoroughly and prepare finger to be punctured by cleaning it with an alcohol swab.
- Students must wear gloves and safety goggles and may only handle their own body fluids.
- Appropriately dispose of materials in the biohazard containers found in the lab.
- Wipe down the work area and any area that may have been exposed to blood with disinfectant immediately after contamination occurs and at the end of the lab.
- Wash hands thoroughly and immediately after the exercise is complete.
Universal Precautions for Students Working with Urine or Saliva
- Before lab, wash hands thoroughly and line the work area with clean paper towels.
- Students must wear gloves and safety goggles and may only handle their own body fluids.
- Rinse and dispose of all supplies that may have come into contact with urine or saliva in the appropriate biohazard container.
- Dispose of urine in the bathroom toilet and saliva in the sink.
- After lab, wipe down work area with disinfectant and wash hands thoroughly.
Disposal Policies
- Dispose of broken glassware in the marked cardboard box container. Broken glass containers are ONLY to be used for broken glass. Always use a broom and dustpan if asked to clean up broken glassware.
- Dispose of used slides in the glass container labeled “Used Slides.”
- As needed, scalpel blades must be disposed of only by instructors.
- Uncontaminated gloves can be disposed of in the regular trash. Contaminated gloves must be disposed of in a biohazard waste container. Examination gloves used in dissections are not considered to be biohazard waste and can be disposed of in the regular trash.
- Biohazardous wastes must be disposed in a biohazard waste container. Preserved materials (e.g., cat tissues) are NOT considered biohazardous waste and can be disposed in the regular trash. Your instructor will inform you which disposal containers are to be used with which type of biohazardous waste (i.e., metal sharps, glass, and non-sharps).
- Dispose of lancets immediately after use in the appropriate sharps biohazard container. Never reuse a lancet.
- Dispose of all supplies that may have come into contact with blood in the appropriate biohazard container.
- Rinse and dispose of all supplies that may have come into contact with urine or saliva in the appropriate biohazard container.
- Dispose of urine in the bathroom toilet and saliva in the sink.
For details pertaining to a specific lab or procedure, please consult the Human Anatomy & Physiology Lab Manual. This provides guidance as to the universal precautions to working with bodily fluids. This pertains to all students, faculty, staff working in the Anatomy and Physiology lab.