Dear Jeanne and Lactnetters All:
Thanks for the CDC and OSHA info re: need for wearing gloves when working w/
breastmilk.  I have been trying to get this question answered for a while.
The OSHA letter is supportive for not wearing gloves, but I think it is
outdated, since it's from 1992.
  As of sometime in 1998, our local hospitals have adopted a newer
guideline, called Standard Precautions, which I understand replaces
Universal Precautions, for in-patient facilities, at any rate.  I work in an
out-patient setting, and have yet to see information that clarifies whether
I should be following Universal or Standard Precautions.  Standard
Precautions calls for wearing gloves.
  Can anyone shed light on this topic?
TIA from:
Martha Johnson RN IBCLC Eugene, Oregon
> ----------
> From:         Jeanne Mitchell[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent:         Wednesday, February 03, 1999 5:00 AM
> Subject:      Universal Precautions
>
> Several people have asked me to post the URL's for the CDC and OSHA
> standards regarding human milk.
>
> Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
> http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hip/universa.htm
> This is a long document that defines Universal Precautions, which do not
> apply to human breast milk.  The paragraph about human milk is at the
> bottom.
>
> OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration, US Dept. of Labor)
> http://www.osha-slc.gov/OshDoc/Interp_data/I19921214.html
> This is a letter clarifying that human milk is not considered a
> potentially infectious material.
>
> By the way, I have heard on 2 separate occassions that OSHA requires
> expressed milk to be stored in a separate refrigerator from regular
> food.  I have searched their website and can find NO documentation of
> this.  It appears that some states and some regions define the standards
> as they see fit.  I want a national interpretation on this.  I may make
> some calls.  I'll be sure to let y'all know if I find out anything.
>
> --
> Jeanne Mitchell, Austin, TX
> http://www.flash.net/~xanth/home.htm
> mailto:[log in to unmask]
> "You can tell the quality of a person by how
> they treat people they don't need." My Dad
>