Act 86 of 2016- Care of Students with Diabetes Update

 

The “Diabetes in School Children: Recommendations and Resource Guide for School Personnel” has been updated (primarily formatting changes) and loaded to the School Health website, http://www.health.pa.gov/My%20Health/School%20Health/Pages/Quick%20Links/Chronic%20Disease/Diabetes.aspx. The training for all three tiers is currently under development.

 

A question has been raised regarding offering the Hepatitis B immunization series to school staff who would be administering injections to students, due to the potential for needlesticks.

Answer: School employees who have been trained to administer epinephrine auto-injectors, insulin and/or glucagon would be considered as having occupational exposure according to the “Guidelines on Bloodborne Pathogens for the Public Sector.” The Department of Health recommends that these employees be offered the Hepatitis B vaccination series by their employer.

 

Rationale:  The “Guidelines on Bloodborne Pathogens for the Public Sector” applies to all employers and employees in the public sector who are not covered by federal standards of the Occupational Safety and

Health Administration (OSHA). It addresses all actual or potential occupational exposures to blood or other infectious materials in a public sector healthcare facility, home healthcare organization or other facility providing health care-related services.

Schools fall under “other facility providing health care-related services.”

 

1. Hepatitis B Vaccination. Within 10 working days of assignment, the employer shall make the Hepatitis B vaccination series available to all employees who have occupational exposure. (See definitions below for bolded words)

(a) Such vaccinations shall be:

(i) at no cost to the employee;

(ii) done at a reasonable time and place during working hours;

(iii) supervised by a licensed physician/licensed healthcare professional;

(iv) according to the latest recommendations of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS).

(b) Employees who refuse the vaccination must sign a declination form, but can later decide to receive the vaccination under the same conditions listed in sub paragraph (a).

(c) Employees shall be offered booster doses, if these are later recommended by USPHS.

 

Definitions.

Employer - An employer with public employees whose duties could reasonably result in occupational exposure to blood and other material potentially containing a bloodborne pathogen.

 

Occupational exposure - Reasonably anticipated eye, mouth, other mucous membrane, non-intact skin, or parenteral contact with blood, bodily fluids or other potentially infectious materials that result from the performance of an employee’s job

duties.

 

Parenteral – A piercing of mucous membranes or the skin barrier through such events as needlesticks, human bites, cuts, and abrasions.

 

Public employee - An employee of the Commonwealth or a political subdivision employed in a health care facility, home health care organization, or other facility providing healthcare-related services who is engaged in activities that involve contact

with a patient, blood or other body fluids from a patient and is responsible for patient care with potential exposure to a sharps injury. This term does not include a licensed individual who provides only intraoral care.