Volume 26, Issue 5: October, 1999

Abstract

FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE AND COMPLIANCE WITH UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS IN AN URBAN SCHOOL DISTRICT

Susan M. Blake, PhD, Richard A. Windsor, PhD, David K. Lohrmann, PhD, CHES, Nadine Gay, MSW, Rebecca Ledsky, MBA, Allison Richman, MPH, Sandra B. Jones, PhD, Stephen W. Banspach, PhD

Address reprint requests to:
Susan M. Blake, Academy for Educational Development, 1825 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009; phone: (202) 884-8866; fax: (202) 884-8879; e-mail: sblake@aed.org

Factors associated with occupational exposure and universal precautions (UP) compliance were assessed among employees in one urban school district. Half of the employees surveyed reported responding to bleeding injuries and cleaning blood or other body fluids (e.g., vomit, urine) during the previous school year. Also, 1 in 4 custodians and 1 in 10 teachers/teacher's aides had direct contact with blood or body fluids without protection. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, direct contact was most likely among secondary school employees in unpredictable situations who did not have protective equipment or comply with UP. UP compliance was greater among those who had protective equipment available and felt self-confident. Self-confidence was associated with having received training or protective equipment. Routine communications between administrators and employees, staff training, provision of protective equipment, and exposure incident monitoring are essential to effective implementation of UP policies in schools and work settings where occupational exposure could occur.