By Ethan Davis

1. Is there a hospital, clinic, or infirmary for medical care in proximity of your workplace?

2. If medical and first-aid facilities are not in proximity of your workplace, is at least one employee on each shift currently qualified to render first aid?

3. Have all employees who are expected to respond to medical emergencies as part of their work

(1) received first-aid training; (2) had hepatitis B vaccination made available to them; (3) had appropriate training on procedures to protect them from blood-borne pathogens, including universal precautions; and (4) have available and understand how to use appropriate personal protective equipment to protect against exposure to bloodborne diseases?

4. Where employees have had an exposure incident involving bloodborne pathogens, did you provide an immediate post-exposure medical evaluation and fol-low-up?

5. Are medical personnel readily available for advice and consultation on matters of employees' health?

6. Are emergency phone numbers posted?

7. Are first-aid kits easily accessible to each work area? with necessary supplies available, periodically inspected and replenished as needed?

8. Have first-aid kit supplies been approved by a physician. indicating that they are adequate for a particular area or operation?

9; Are means provided for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body in areas where corrosive liquids or materials are handled?

Note: Pursuant to an OSHA memorandum July 1, 1992, employees who render first aid only as a collateral duty do not have to be offered pre-exposure hepatitis B vaccine only if the employer puts the following requirements into his/her exposure control plan and implements them: (1) the employer must record all first-aid incidents involving the presence of blood or other potentially infectious materials before the end of the work shift during which the first-aid incident occurred; (2) the employer must comply with post-exposure evaluation, prophylaxis, and follow-up requirements of the standard with respect to "exposure incidents," as defined by the standard; (3) the employer must train designated first-aid providers about the reporting procedure: (4) the employer must offer to initiate the hepatitis B vaccination series within 24 hours to all unvaccinated first-aid providers who have rendered assistance in any situation involving the presence of blood or other potentially infectious materials.