Subpart 1.
General requirements.
A regulated person:
A. must not cut, bend, or break contaminated
needles;
B. must minimize exposure
to contaminated sharps by actions such as not recapping or removing a
contaminated sharp from its base unless the regulated person can demonstrate
that no safer alternative is feasible, that the action is required by a
specific medical procedure, or that the base is reusable, in which case the
recapping or removal must be accomplished through the use of a mechanical
device or a one-handed technique;
C. must minimize splashing, spraying,
spattering, and generation of droplets of potentially infectious
materials;
D. must not perform
mouth pipetting or suctioning of potentially infectious materials;
E. must, before caring for a subsequent
patient, remove and replace protective coverings used to cover equipment or
work surfaces in work areas if the coverings become contaminated;
F. must remove debris and residue and
decontaminate equipment before the equipment is repaired in the clinical
practice location or transported to another site for repair or, if the
equipment cannot be decontaminated before repair, must label the equipment as
potentially contaminated; and
G.
must pick up contaminated objects in such a manner that bare or covered skin
does not come into contact with contaminated sharp surfaces.
Subp. 2.
Multiple dose vials.
A. A
disposable needle and/or syringe that is used to withdraw fluid from a multiple
dose vial must not be used more than once.
B. A reusable needle and/or syringe that is
used to withdraw fluid from a multiple dose vial must be sterilized before each
use.
Subp. 3.
Handwashing.
A regulated person must thoroughly wash hands or other skin
surfaces as soon as feasible after hands, other skin surfaces, or gloves are
contaminated and in any case prior to treatment of a subsequent patient.
Subp. 4.
Contaminated equipment, instruments, and devices.
A. All debris and residue from reusable
contaminated equipment, instruments, and devices must be completely
removed.
B. Equipment, instruments,
and devices which come into contact with a patient's vascular system or other
normally sterile areas of the body must be sterilized.
C. Reusable equipment, instruments, and
devices which come into contact with a patient's intact mucous membranes but do
not penetrate body surfaces must be sterilized or high-level
disinfected.
D. Reusable equipment,
instruments, and devices which come into contact with a patient's intact skin
must be decontaminated.
E. Work
surfaces must be decontaminated immediately or as soon as feasible after the
surfaces become contaminated and prior to treatment of a subsequent
patient.
Subp. 5.
Transfers.
A regulated person must not transfer contaminated disposable
sharps or potentially infectious materials from one container to another
container.
Subp. 6.
Disposable contaminated sharps.
A regulated person:
A. must, immediately or as soon as feasible
after use and until the sharps are disposed of, store disposable contaminated
sharps in containers that are puncture resistant, leakproof on the sides and
bottom, closable, and labeled with a biohazard symbol;
B. must not store or dispose of disposable
contaminated sharps in a manner that allows a person to reach by hand into the
containers where the sharps are placed;
C. must place containers for disposable
contaminated sharps where the containers are easily accessible to health care
workers and as close as is feasible to the immediate area where sharps are used
or can reasonably be expected to be found;
D. must place containers for disposable
contaminated sharps where the contents do not impose undue risk of an exposure
incident at a clinical practice location;
E. must maintain containers for disposable
contaminated sharps upright throughout use; and
F. must replace containers for disposable
contaminated sharps before they become full.
Subp. 7.
Reusable contaminated sharps.
A regulated person:
A. must, immediately or as soon as feasible
after use and until the sharps are decontaminated, store reusable contaminated
sharps in containers that are puncture resistant, leakproof on the sides and
bottom, and labeled with a biohazard symbol;
B. must place containers for reusable
contaminated sharps where the containers are easily accessible to health care
workers and as close as is feasible to the immediate area where sharps are used
or can reasonably be expected to be found;
C. must place containers for reusable
contaminated sharps where the contents do not impose undue risk of an exposure
incident at a clinical practice location;
D. must maintain containers for reusable
contaminated sharps upright throughout use; and
E. must replace containers for reusable
contaminated sharps before they become full.