 Employee Health Reminders
The following
information is reproduced from the Bulletin #1 for the Fort Worth
ISD.
Personal Illness (Employees)
In cases of personal
illness extending for a period of twenty (20) or more consecutive
calendar days, an employee must file with the director of health
services a report (Form 709 or a letter) from a licensed physician
indicating the nature of the illness and stating that the individual
is well enough to resume work. The director of health services
will make the final determination as to whether the employee
will be permitted to return to work.
Medical Restrictions
(Employees)
Employees who
have restrictions imposed upon them by their physicians must
report to the Health Services Department. The physician must
list the nature of the illness, specific restrictions and duration
of their restrictions. The director of health services will
make the final determination as to whether the employee will
be permitted to return to work.
Infectious Disease
Control
The public school
setting brings people together for long periods of time where
they may be exposed to many different germs. Although the environment
cannot be made germ free, the harmful effects of germs can be
lessened by keeping their numbers at low levels. The risk of
transmission of infectious disease can be reduced by following
the recommended guidelines.
If possible,
avoid contact with body fluids. "Body fluids" apply
to blood, drainage from scrapes and cuts, feces, urine, vomit,
saliva and drainage from any orifice (i.e., nose, ears). If
avoidance is not possible, it is recommended that disposable
vinyl or latex gloves be worn when direct hand contact with the
body fluid is anticipated (e.g. changing diapers, handling soiled
clothing or cleaning mops used for cleaning vomitus, blood, urine
and stool). Gloves should be discarded in a double lined bag
or trash container. If gloves are not worn, hands must be washed
vigorously with soap and water under running water for approximately
ten (10) seconds. Use paper towel to turn off faucet. Dry hands
thoroughly with a paper towel. Wash hands before applying and
after using gloves.
I. Maintenance
Responsibilities
A. Routine and
standard procedures should be used to clean up after a child
has an accident or injury at school. Blood or other body fluids
emanating from any child should be treated cautiously. Gloves
should be worn when cleaning up blood spills and surfaces contaminated
with them. These spills should be disinfected with a freshly
made solution of household chlorine bleach in water (one-fourth
[1/4] cup bleach to one [1] gallon of water) and persons coming
in contact with them should wash their hands before and afterwards.
Blood soaked items or clothing stained with blood should be
placed in leak-proof bags for further disposition. Similar procedures
are recommended for dealing with vomitus and fecal or urinary
incontinence in any child. Hand washing with soap and hot water
after contact with a school child is routinely recommended if
physical contact has been made with the child's blood or body
fluids, including saliva.
B. Rugs which
are contaminated by body fluids may be cleaned by applying a
sanitary absorbent agent. Allow the agent to dry according to
the directions; then vacuum. If needed, mechanically remove
with a dust pan and broom; then apply rug shampoo (containing
a germicidal detergent) with a brush and re-vacuum. Counters,
mats, floors, etc., that are contaminated with body fluids must
be cleaned after the spill of the body fluid and again at the
end of the day with soap and water and rinsed with the appropriate
disinfectant.
C. Maintenance
responsibilities should include daily cleaning with bleach/germicide
in areas where contact with body fluids is likely (such as the
health room, health room toilet(s), sink(s), student and staff
lavatories, etc.). Plastic bags should also be changed daily
and disposed of routinely; disposable gloves should be worn.
II. Cleaning
of Hard Surfaces:
A. Remove soil
surface, then apply disinfectant. (Sodium hypochlorite one-fourth
[1/4] cup to one [1] gallon of water or any FWISD approved disinfectant.)
B. Mops should
be soaked in the disinfectant after use, then washed in hot water
prior to rinsing. Gloves should be worn.
C. Disposable
equipment should be double bagged and placed in trash receptacle.
D. Nondisposable
equipment (dust pans, buckets) should be rinsed thoroughly in
the disinfectant.
E. Discard used solution promptly in drain pipe, rinse pail or
container.
F. Gloves should
be removed when all cleanup is completed and placed in double
trash bag. Wash hands thoroughly before and after using gloves.
III. Additional
Information
A. In many instances,
unanticipated skin contact with body fluids may occur in situations
where gloves or some type of barrier (handkerchief, paper towel,
etc.) may be immediately unavailable (e.g., a runny nose, applying
pressure to a bleeding injury outside the classroom, helping
a child in the restroom). In these instances, hands and other
affected skin areas of all exposed persons should be routinely
washed with soap and water after direct contact has ceased.
If possible, gloves should be kept in any area where one may
anticipate contact with body fluid (wood shop, labs, special
education classrooms). Clothing and other nondisclosure items
(e.g., towels used to wipe up body fluid) that are soaked through
with body fluids should be placed in plastic bags. Clothing
should be sent home for laundering. Contaminated disposable
items (e.g., tissues, paper towels, diapers) should be handled
with disposable gloves. Changing tables must be cleaned with
a FWISD disinfectant after each student is changed.
B. Students should
be taught to handle their own "body fluids" as appropriate
(for age, state of health, etc.). When feasible, students should
dispose of their own tissues after blowing nose, apply pressure
to nose and dispose of the paper towels used for bloody nose;
wash own scrapes/cuts, etc.
C. Students should
be taught good hand-washing techniques and encouraged to use
them routinely--before eating, after toileting, after vomiting,
etc.
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