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Safe Cleaning and Garbage Handling in the Hotel & Hospitality Industries

Hotel & Hospitality Employees are often responsible for cleaning public areas and private rooms. 

Sometimes this may cause them to be exposed to infected blood and body fluids as a result of handling contaminated items such as soiled sheets, used towels, sharp objects, broken glass, discarded syringes and needles or when cleaning up blood and certain body fluids after an accident or spill. Although the overall risk is small, this contact could result in the worker contracting Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), or Hepatitis B or C.

Body fluids that may spread HIV or Hepatitis B or C include semen, vaginal secretions, amniotic fluid, pleural, pericardial, peritoneal, synovial, and cerebrospinal fluids, and blood. Tears, nasal secretions, sputum, vomit, urine, sweat, and feces contaminated with visible blood can also present a risk of infection. In addition, these fluids may transmit microbes to food and result in foodborne illness. For example, feces may spread Hepatitis A.

To minimize the risks of contracting these viruses or spreading other illnesses:

• Treat every spill of blood or body fluids as if they were infected. This is known as universal precautions. Don't clean up blood and body fluids which may spread HIV, Hepatitis B or C, unless you have been trained to do so. Wear personal protective equipment including disposable waterproof gloves. Wipe up visible material with disposable towels. Dispose of towels in waterproof garbage bags. Change gloves if necessary. Decontaminate the area by carefully pouring an approved germicide or fresh bleach solution on the affected area. A 1% solution of household bleach is usually sufficient for small spills. For large spills with large amounts of blood, a 10% solution may be necessary. Leave for ten minutes, then wipe up with disposable towels. Discard the towels. Clean and sanitize all soiled, reusable equipment and supplies. Remove and discard gloves. Wash your hands.

• Do not handle needles, condoms or other sharp items unless you have the proper equipment and have been instructed on how to do so safely. Never place needles in a regular garbage container. Place needles in a separate approved sharps disposal container.

• Don't reach for objects you can't see. Use a long-handled stick to explore hidden spots.

• Handle garbage as little as possible. Be alert for sharps sticking out of bags. Don't use your bare hands to pick up garbage that has spilled. Wear puncture-resistant and liquid-resistant gloves and use tongs or other tools designed for picking up garbage. Never overfill garbage bags. Change the bags frequently so that they may be handled by the top of the bag only.

• Wash hands thoroughly when removing gloves at the end of a task. Always wash your hands before and after handling food, eating, drinking, smoking, biting your nails, handling contact lenses and applying personal care products.

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