ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA
SECRETARIAT FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION
222 North Seventeenth Street  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-1299
Telephone (215) 587-3700  Fax (215) 587-5638  e-mail: ccary@archphila.org
SUPERINTENDENT FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Memorandum
To:
Secondary Presidents and Principals
From:
Dr. Carol A. Cary
Superintendent for Secondary Schools
Re:
Universal Precautions
As part of your Orientation for Teachers at the beginning of the school year, you should be sure
that they understand the need to follow the Safety Procedures as required by the policy on
Universal Precautions.
There is a video in your school that was produced by our legal firm that complies with our legal
requirements to inform all employees of the need to take precautions when coming into contact
with anyone in the work environment.
You may also choose to request a DVD copy which could be produced for a $10.00 fee but
would not be available for the opening faculty meeting.
A copy of the attached policy should be given to every teacher and member of your staff.
You might also give careful consideration to include volunteers.
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Attachment
SAFETY PROCEDURES
Universal Precautions
Because of the concern on the part of school personnel that some very serious and life
threatening illnesses can be spread through contact with blood and other body fluids when an
accident occurs in school, it is necessary to publish some precautions that must be inaugurated in
our schools. AIDS is one disease that can be spread in this manner but there are a wide variety
of diseases that can be spread through contact with blood, drainage from scrapes and cuts, feces,
urine, vomit, respiratory secretions (nasal discharge) and saliva. If you have contact with any of
these body fluids, you are at risk of infection from these various diseases. This risk is very low
and dependent upon the type of contact made and the type of fluid involved. It is simply good
policy to treat all spills of body fluids as infectious in order to protect personnel from becoming
infected.
I.
HOW SHOULD BLOOD AND BODY FLUID SPILLS BE HANDLED
A.
Disposable, waterproof gloves should be worn when you come into direct contact
with body fluids (bloody noses, vomit, clothing soiled by incontinence, cuts and
scrapes). Gloves used for this purpose should be placed in a plastic bag or lined
trash can, secured and disposed of daily.
WASH HANDS FOR TEN SECONDS WITH SOAP AND WATER
AFTER DISPOSING OF USED GLOVES.
B.
If no gloves are available and your hands come in contact with these fluids, you
should wash your hands and other affected skin for ten seconds with soap and
water after the direct contact has ended.
All materials used to clean the spill (tissues, paper towels, etc.) should be
disposed of in the same manner as the plastic gloves.
II.
HANDWASHING
Proper handwashing is important. This requires the use of soap and warm water
and vigorous washing under running water for approximately ten seconds. Rinse
hands thoroughly and dry them with paper towels or a blow dryer. (Do not use a
cloth towel.)
Safety Procedures
Universal Precautions – Page Two
III.
IV.
DISINFECTANTS
A.
A solution of ten parts water to one part household bleach will destroy HIV and
should be used to clean all spills.
B.
This solution should be used to wash all equipment involved in body spill cleanup
including mops, buckets, dustpans. Any surface involved must be cleaned with
the above solution. This solution should then be disposed of by emptying it down
a drain pipe.
C.
Contaminated clothes must be laundered with soap and water to eliminate
potentially infectious agents. The addition of bleach will reduce the risk of
potential infection. Clothing soaked with body fluids should be washed
separately from other clothing.
PLACEMENT OF GLOVES
As a precaution, it would be wise to place plastic gloves in each classroom,
lavatory, cafeteria, school hall, nurses' room, school office, and in a place
accessible for volunteers.
V.
STUDENTS
Many times our students volunteer to clean up accidents in school or they assist a
friend who has fallen and is bleeding. Please have teachers explain to them the
necessity of not touching blood or any other body fluid with bare hands. Please
do NOT ask a student to clean up any vomit, etc.