Science Laboratory Instruction

Before a class works with blood or blood products, the teacher must:

1. explain the potentially hazardous nature of blood, emphasizing the fact that various agents can be transmitted from one person to another through blood, and
2. demonstrate proper glove removal.

Before and after laboratory work, students must:

1. wash hands with soap and water, and
2. demonstrate proper glove removal.

The following techniques also must be used when students are working with human blood:

1. Specific procedures and safety precautions shall be explained carefully before starting each laboratory exercise.
2. Wherever possible, blood typing experiments shall be conducted by teacher demonstrations rather than being performed by individual students.
3. Students always shall work with their own blood, or shall use prepackaged ABO/ Rh blood cell kits that have vials of blood previously tested for transmissible agents.
4. Students shall use individual sterile lancets for finger punctures, and lancets must not be reused.
5. Before the finger is punctured, it shall be cleansed with alcohol.
6. If bleeding persists after the finger is punctured, the student shall apply a sterile bandage using moderate pressure.
7. Lancets and any other materials contaminated with blood must be discarded into a sharps container. Sharps containers are available at the District warehouse. Disposal of the sharps container must follow OSHA and School District guidelines available from the head custodian or school nurse.
8. At the end of the class, laboratory desks shall be wiped with an EPA approved cleaner available from the head custodian.

Techniques similar to the above shall be used when working with any other body fluids.