Risk reduction for exposure to blood-borne pathogens in EMS

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that approximately 5.6 million workers are at risk for contact with blood and other specified body fluids during the performance of their work duties. Of these, 4.4 million are health care workers at risk of exposure to potentially infectious materials. These workers include nurses, physicians, dentists and dental workers, laboratory and blood bank technologists, emergency department personnel, orderlies, housekeeping personnel, and others. OSHA identifies an additional 1.2 million others, "whose job might require providing first-response medical care in which reasonable expectation of contact with blood or potentially infectious materials may occur." The latter category includes personnel employed as law enforcement officers, fire suppression and rescue workers, correctional officers, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs).