Rank: Forum user 
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IOSH community I'm reviewing an organisation health and safety policy who operate predominantly in the Construction sector. Would you expect to see within a health and safety policy the transmission of a biological agent such as AIDS. I've never come across a detailed insertion on such a topic!! The only example springing to mind where this topic would prove relevant would be the sharing of gloves with an infected person who may have suffered a slight abrasion around the hand area or perhaps the handling of sharps. Going off the above, do you think I have answered my own question???? Damian
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Rank: Super forum user 
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I'm impressed with the high standards of traditional construction safety and health issues of any construction company that now has the transmission of biological agents as one of its priorities to address!
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Rank: Forum user
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Originally Posted by: Kate  I'm impressed with the high standards of traditional construction safety and health issues of any construction company that now has the transmission of biological agents as one of its priorities to address!
Kate - do you not feel that their priorities should lie elsewhere, I've never come across anyone contracting HIV/AIDS via typical Construction Activities since AIDS/HIV became headline news back in the eighties. I would expect the concerns of Bilogical Agents to rest with those who handle/store such agents on a regular basis.
Damian
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Rank: Super forum user
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Yes, I was being sarcastic. Sorry that wasn't clear. There are organisations where biological agents will be a priority but in construction you would, as you say, be looking elsewhere for what to highlight in the policy.
I wonder is it a copy-paste policy from a very different organisation?
Edited by user 25 May 2018 17:08:41(UTC)
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Rank: Super forum user
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Hmmm, we may be overlooking something here. People have accidents on construction sites and often there is blood/bodily fluids. These people are treated by first aiders who are often employees.
Leptospirosis anyone...
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Rank: Super forum user
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Firstly, there are many more potential sources of infection in construction than someone with HIV/AIDS.
Secondly, I am concerned at the concept that people share gloves, particularly when this is for protection against chemical. Even with protection against physical hazards, how do you know what condition the first person's hands were in when they donned the gloves? Aids is only one concern. Hands miight have been contaminated with a chemical that is a sensitiser to which the second person is already sensitised. Consequences could then be an allergic reaction for the second person, possibly evenan anaphylactic reaction, to the chemical inside the glove left by the previous wearer.
Chris
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Rank: Super forum user
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What does the policy recommend? It sounds like throwback to the nineties. Aids/HIV is surprisingly difficult to catch and as said there are other blood borne pathogens (such a Hepatitis B) which are far easier to pick-up. As Chris has said the point of PPE is that it is personnel and people should not be sharing it. There are all sorts of things you can you can catch from minging PPE such as ringworm. I am wondering why the policy picks out AIDS/HIIV.
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Rank: Forum user
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That was my initial question, why would you go in to such intricate detail when stating your arrangements within a policy? Surely targeting such a taboo matter is not something personnel would be comfortable discussing or sharing- even if it did have the slightest relevance. Is it something that even crops up in a typical health surveillance questionnaire?
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Rank: Super forum user 
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I would include a more general segment on personal hygiene rather than single out one particular disease.
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 1 user thanked Hsquared14 for this useful post.
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