BOP Program Statement 6701.01 § 5

Employees will follow all standard precautions. Management will make notification to

employees while abiding by HIPAA regulations regarding the presence of airborne infectious

materials in the workplace.

a. Preventive Measures. Medications (e.g., INH therapy for latent TB, anti-retroviral

prophylactic medication for HIV exposure) and related diagnostic tests following an

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occupational exposure to an infectious disease will be provided at no cost to the employee. A

Central Office project code has been established to manage these expenditures.

Employees’ medical insurance will not be used to reimburse medical costs for an occupational

exposure.

b. Non-Occupational Exposure to Infectious Disease (i.e., varicella, measles, mumps).

Employees who become aware they have been exposed to or have acquired an infectious disease

that could be transmitted, under normal working conditions, to others at the workplace must

notify their supervisor. The diseases that will be reported are those that can be spread through

the air or by physical contact with others or common surfaces. (Nothing in the provision

requires the reporting of diseases typically spread through sexual contact.) The supervisor

should contact the Clinical Director or Infectious Disease Coordinator.

The Bureau may require an authorization from the employee’s health care provider stating that

he/she is no longer contagious prior to his/her return to work or making any accommodation

required to return to work.

At the Warden’s request, the CD may make written recommendations regarding duty

assignment. The recommendations will be consistent with the employee’s contagious disease

health status and any potential risks of transmitting a contagious disease to others.

c. Occupational Exposure To Bloodborne Pathogens. An exposure incident is defined by

CDC guidelines and OSHA Regulation 29 CFR 1910.1030 while in the performance of an

employee’s duties.

Exposure to bloodborne pathogens includes, but is not limited to, hepatitis B virus (HBV),

hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

All procedures regarding exposure to bloodborne pathogens will be in compliance with 29 CFR

1910.1030 and delineated in the institution Exposure Control Plan.

A potential exposure to a bloodborne pathogen is considered a medical emergency and requires

immediate notification to the CD or physician on-call, who will make an exposure determination

as defined in the OSHA regulation on bloodborne pathogen using PEPline (888-448-4911; when

available) for guidance.

Emergency treatment will be provided to employees following exposure to infectious diseases

according to CDC guidelines.

Each institution will define, in the institution Exposure Control Plan, the local procedure for

providing medical care following a bloodborne pathogen incident.

If the employee experiences ill effects from the treatment, he/she must notify his/her direct

supervisor and Safety Office to initiate a claim through the OWCP process.

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Medical care and counseling will be in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.1030 and CDC guidelines.

(Refer to Section 9 of this Program Statement for managing U.S. Public Health Service [USPHS]

officers.)

Notification procedures following an HIV exposure incident will be in accordance with state and

Federal requirements.

Written informed consent from the employee is required whenever medication is provided to an

employee on site following a bloodborne exposure incident.

Documentation of a bloodborne exposure incident will:

■ Ensure that the post-exposure medical evaluation and treatment is documented in the

employee’s health record.

■ Include, at a minimum, the information required by 29 CFR 1910.1030.

Employee health records will:

■ Be kept confidential.

■ Not be disclosed or reported to any person within or outside the workplace except as required

by OSHA Standard 1910.1030, or as may be required by law.

■ Be maintained in accordance with OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910.1030.

d. Occupational Exposure to Other Infectious Disease

(1) Tuberculosis. Under the supervision of the CD or designated physician a Contact

Investigation will be conducted. All employee contacts will be interviewed for symptoms of

active TB disease.

Employees will be counseled by the CD or clinician designee about the medical conditions that

increase the risk of TB and advised that if such conditions exist, staff should consult their

personal physicians.

TSTs will be offered to all previously skin test negative, or skin test unknown, contacts as a

baseline unless staff were tested in the previous 1-3 months. The TST should again be offered 8-

12 weeks from the last contact with the source case to assess any transmission of a new TB

infection.

TST is not indicated for staff contacts with a previously measured positive TST. Symptom

screening will be conducted to rule out active disease.

Employee contacts with a TST measurement of 5 millimeters or greater will be referred to their

personal physicians for further medical evaluation and treatment.

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If active tuberculosis is diagnosed, documentation from the treating physician will be required,

consistent with current CDC guidelines, before returning to work.

(2) Varicella (Chicken Pox) or Herpes Zoster. Employees who experience a direct

occupational exposure to a case of chicken pox or herpes zoster are to be managed in accordance

with the following guidelines:

■ Employees who are pregnant or have reason to believe they may be pregnant, regardless of

the self-reported history of previous chicken pox, will be encouraged to meet with their

personal health care providers for further evaluation, treatment, and consultation.

■ Any identified case of varicella (chicken pox) among staff or inmates should be immediately

communicated to all staff. This communication will instruct staff who have not had varicella

to notify the Infectious Disease Coordinator (IDC) or the Clinical Director (CD), who will

provide information about recommended preventive measures.

■ Susceptible employees who have been exposed to an active case of chicken pox will be

reassigned to a position or duty status that protects staff and inmates, preventing further

transmission of the infection.

(3) Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA). Any staff member who acquires

MRSA while performing his/her duties will be referred to his/her private health care provider.

He/she must notify his/her direct supervisor and Safety Office to initiate a claim through the

OWCP process