Universal Body Substance Precautions Body substances of all patients will be handled and managed in a like manner that minimizes the exposure of employees, staff, patients, and the public. Body substances are defined as tissue, blood, urine, feces, wound drainage, oral and other secretions, vomitus and any other body fluid. All employees, staff, and students shall follow the prescribed procedures when handling or managing body substances of any patient whether or not a transmissible disease has been diagnosed. Use these precautions with all patients, all specimens, at all times. 1.    Treat all body substances as potentially infectious. This applies to frozen and fixed as well as fresh specimens. 2.    Wear gloves when it is likely that hands will be in contact with body substances as well as surfaces, material, and objects exposed to them. 3.    Wear plastic aprons, gowns, laboratory coats or other appropriate protective clothing when contact (splashing or soiling) may occur with body substances.     Remove the apron, etc. and discard it appropriately be fore leaving the laboratory. Never wear potentially contaminated lab coats, gloves, etc. out of the laboratory. 4.    All personnel should wash their hands following completion of laboratory activities, removal of protective clothing, and before leaving the laboratory. 5.    Wear a mask and eye protection when it is likely that eyes or mucous membranes will be splashed with body substances. 6.    All procedures and manipulations of body substances are to be performed carefully to minimize the creation of droplets or aerosols. Biological safety cabinets (i.e. the laminar flow hood used by Cytology in the accession room) and other primary containment devices (i.e. centrifuge safety cups) are advised whenever procedures are conducted that have a high potential for creating aerosols or infectious droplets. These include centrifuging, blending, sonicating, vigorous mixing, and harvesting infected tissues from animals of embryonated eggs. Fluorescent activated cell sorters generate droplets that could potentially result in infectious aerosols. Translucent plastic shielding between the droplet-collecting area and the equipment operator should be used to reduce the presently uncertain magnitude of this risk. Primary containment devices are also used in handling materials that might contain concentrated infectious agents or organisms in greater quantities than expected in clinical specimens. 7.    Mechanical pipetting devices must be used for the manipulation of all liquids in the laboratory. Mouth pipetting is not allowed. 8.    Do not recap, bend or cut needles. Use disposable needles and syringes whenever possible. Put sharp instruments and needles in a special puncture-resistant container located close to the area where they are used. Handle when with great care to prevent injury. If reusable syringes are used they should be decontaminated before reprocessing. 9.    If accidental contact or needle stick occurs, wash the exposed area or injury site with soap and water as soon as possible as report the area supervisor. 10.    Laboratory work surfaces are to be decontaminated with a disinfectant following any spill of potentially infectious material and at the completion of work activities. use a solution of 1 part bleach (5.25% sodium hypochlorite) to 10 parts water or use a hospital approved phenolic disinfectant. 11.    Discard potentially infectious specimens, disposable clothing, etc. in the appropriate container (biohazard containers, red plastic bags, etc.). Different procedures may apply in different parts of the campus.