There was a gut wrenching story in yesterday’s news about a high school science teacher in Australia that drew blood from a group of students with the same needle as part of a class experiment to test the PH levels of their blood.
According to the story from FOX 5 New York, the teacher attempted to sterilize the needle with methylated spirits; which, according to Tasmania’s Director of Public Health, “would not prevent the transmission of HIV or Hepatitis B or C.”
It is hoped the students will not suffer any long term consequences from experience, and as the article pointed out, the students are in a low risk demographic. Unfortunately, it is not the first time in recent history that a classroom experiment involving student blood has gone awry.
In 2006, there were two separate instances of teachers drawing blood from students with the same instrument. The first incident took place in Salina, Kansas, where about 50 students were pricked with the same lancet to use their blood for a class experiment.
The second incident was in Redwood, California, where 30 students were exposed to potential risks when a substitute teacher used the same lancet to take blood samples from students so they could look at their cells through a microscope.
It is difficult to understand how such incidents can happen in this day and age; nevertheless, they serve as a great reminder that ongoing training, even on the most rudimentary of topics, is an important component to employee – and in this case – student safety.
With over 80 online training courses to choose from, MSDSonline can help you and your employees stay safe, we even have a course on Bloodborne Pathogens.
Bloodborne Pathogens provides training and procedures that will help minimize health risks for workers at risk for exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials. Coverage includes recognizing hazards, identifying modes of transmission, standard precautions, appropriate engineering controls, work practices, and PPE to prevent exposure, and emergency procedures for incidents involving exposure. Primary Regs: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030
Call 1.888.362.2007, or visit Workplace Safety Training for information about our on-demand training offering, including a list of available courses. If you’re interested in an option that does not require all employees to be present at the same time, you can take a pass on a classroom style format and consider an online solution.
- The MSDS Compliance Team -