BCNU urges members to carry out basic infection control practices and conduct point of care risk assessments

While concerns over the ebola outbreak remain high, BCNU is hard at work at a provincial level to ensure all the necessary precautions are in place to protect health care workers in the event ebola cases appear in BC.

BCNU members are being encouraged to make every effort to remember the basics of infection control practices and the importance of patient history and conducting point of care risk assessments.

Arrangements are being made for a meeting between BCNU and Provincial Health Officer Perry Kendall to seek assurance that the province is ready for potential ebola cases in BC.

In the meantime, there are several actions you can take:

• Familiarize yourself with how to conduct a point of care risk assessment
• Wear a fit-tested N-95 respirator, in addition to required droplet and contact precautions (such as, but not limited to gloves, gowns, full face shield or goggles)
• Comply with infection control measures and policies at your workplace
• STOP if you do not have the required personal protective equipment or respiratory protection, and speak with your manager or supervisor. If your concerns are not resolved, contact a steward
• If you are concerned you've possibly been exposed to an infectious disease:
  • Seek immediate clinical assessment and/or first aid following your worksite BBF (blood and bodily fluids) exposure protocols
  • Report the incident as soon as possible, using the employee incident reporting process for your worksite
  • Let the BCNU representative on the Joint OH&S Committee know what happened
  • Start a WorkSafeBC claim for medical treatment and/or missed time from work (see BCNU poster).

If you are concerned about the level of training or preparedness in your worksite, you should contact your BCNU Occupational Health and Safety Committee Representative or worksite steward.

To view a helpful health care worker checklist provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), please visit http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/pdf/healthcare-provider-checklist-for-ebola.pdf.

For more information on the ebola virus go to http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/hcp/index.html.