Risk assessment and control

The following steps outline the practicalities of risk assessment, to determine whether specific controls against blood-borne virus (BBV) exposure are required.¹ BBV refers to hepatitis B and hepatitis C as well as HIV. 

1) Identify the hazards associated with your work activity

• Sources of BBVs 
• How might people be harmed? 
• Exposure to pathogens – nature of the organism
• How might exposure occur?

2) Consider who will be exposed and the consequences

• Who might be harmed (e.g. nurses, cleaners)?
• Identify groups of people – involve them in the assessment process
• What type of ill health or disease will result?

3) Assess how likely it is that harm will arise

• Probability in light of findings in (1) and (2) above
• Characteristics of the organism e.g. infectious dose, survival time
• Frequency of contact/exposure
• Standard work practice

4) Assign control measures to mitigate risk (if appropriate)

• Engineering controls and work practices
• Microbiological safety cabinets
• Sharps policy – see below
• Personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Decontamination procedures
• Spill procedures and fumigation
• Vaccination – not strictly a control, rather a protective measure

5) Implement actions to maintain controls

• Planned preventive maintenance (e.g. cleaning, inspection, maintenance)
• Booster vaccinations

6) Risk assessment review

• Significant changes (e.g. working practices)
• New information
• Equipment maintenance