In accordance with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration's (OSHA) Blood-Borne Pathogens Standard, the NYCDOE requires District Schools and Pre-K Centers to institute the Exposure Control Plan (ECP) as an effort to minimize employees' risk from blood borne pathogens. The following sanitary practices must be followed when assisting students with toileting and diapering to facilitate proper hygiene and to protect the health and safety of all staff and students:
- Utilize appropriate supplies (disposable gloves, non-scented/non-allergenic wipes, mild soap, etc.)
- Wear disposable gloves when changing students' clothes or diapers and wash hands after cleaning up
- Utilize mild soap and water or non-scented wipes to clean the student
- Use an EPA-approved disinfectant or a bleach/water solution to disinfect soiled surfaces
All teachers and paraprofessionals must receive the NYCDOE Blood Borne Pathogens Training and be offered the opportunity to receive the Hepatitis B vaccine. If a staff member does not intend to receive the vaccine, you must complete a vaccination declination form. For more information on receiving training and the Hepatitis B vaccine, please see the NYCDOE Occupational Safety & Health (OSHA) website (requires you to sign in with your NYCDOE email account information).