Hep B - bloodborne so lower risk...just follow good hygiene techniques. Hep A is a whole other matter.. The file from the HPA website gives some guidance (page 7)..this is a bout schools but it is the only non medical reference I have for UK the rest is SA. http://www.hpa.org.uk/we...e/HPAweb_C/1259152095231 If indeed it is + diagnosis for HEP A then it isn't over the top... I am sure Chris will be along any minute to correct me...

Nim This was the link I wanted yesterday....has the rationale for Hep A B and C

Hi, you cannot tell anyone about employees medical conditions unless they have given informed consent - whether its diabetes, Hep B or whatever. The control measures should be for all situations as you should always assume that all exposure to body fluids could be infectious. Good hygiene practices for all. Robust sharps injury procedure - liaising with local NHS and/or Occ Health for quick reaction to sharps with a likely risk of infection When I worked for a care organisation we did not go down the vaccination route unless there was a significant risk e.g. the service user had uncontrolled biting and then we we would still risk assess it for reasons given in document above. Pregnant women and nursing mothers should have an extra duty of care personal risk assessment throughout their pregnancies/nursing baby. During this they should be reminded of the need for good hygiene practices. The only time I changed a pregnant women's client group was when there was a significant risk of involuntary hits on the stomach which was making her quite stressed and the client felt this and got more stressed. A place where I worked an employee disclosed they had HIV when they cut their finger and the first aider went to apply first aid without wearing their gloves! In conclusion, I would think carefully as sometimes people think if they are vaccinated they are fully protected. Vaccinations don't always prevent illness but reduce the symptoms and not all infections have vaccinations. Lilian

¨Vaccinations don't always prevent illness but reduce the symptoms and not all infections have vaccinations¨ In fact a small minority of ¨available¨ infections have a vaccine protection attached.

Nimble, I can't help but feel you need to be a little more specific, unless you're suggesting that you have workers who are individually suffering from the 2 conditions. The 2 are essentially different conditions, with different routes of infection and different consequences in the longer term. The reality is that you probably need do nothing, unless you're in a particular industry that would indicate high risk. I have one person who has declared suffering from Hep B; and it has never occurred to me that I need treat them any differently. Again, the reality is, there may be more than one person, either because they haven't declared, or they don't know. Overall I would suggest that it is likely that you need do nothing more.

it is not requirement that first aiders have a Hep B- it might make sense in environments where there is a high risk of coming into contact with infected people but generally this should not an issue. Vaccination is always the very last line of defence against infection and you should instead be relying on other controls to protect staff. Neither Hep A or Hep B cannot be described as contagious in that you cannot spread it through everyday contact.

‘It’s an office environment and there are a number of pregnant women in the vicinity of the carrier and having spoken with some of the related charities they suggested a need for Occupational health involvement as infectivity may affect insurance.’ No suggestion of a high risk environment, so I would suggest that no action is taken. Care should be taken to make sure that any action taken against the infected person is not discriminatory. As to insurance, what is the issue? Employers’ liability insurance is about accidents at work or diseases arising out of work. It is about not picking up diseases from work colleagues… you can’t claim for getting a cold from a work colleague.

The protection route, for unvaccinated persons exposed to Hep B would be an injection of Hep B immunoglobin, followed by the complete series of Hep B vaccine. For emergency protection [sic] that would be 3 injections over 21 days. Not nice, for the recipient. Better to be safe, rather than sorry!