mwlister Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 Recently I was approached by an RN who insisted that blood and blood products must be transport from the Transfusion Service Department to the Units in a biohazard bag. He cited a OSHA statement or regulation I cannot find. Would you please advise on the following:1. Has anyone seen or heard of this regualtion?2. Do you transport components in a separate bag?3. Would you use a "Biohazard" bag? This would send a warning to the recipient and/or familiy members.Any input would be appreciated.Thanks, MWL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabel Adams Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 OSHA actually lists tested blood products for transfusion as specifically exempt from the Biohazard designation...or did last time I checked.Bob, when was that we were looking that up? Last year sometime? I can't find it on the AABB site where I think I posted it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcurrie Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 Mabel,It has been a while. I am at home and don't have my regs with me, but the OSHA standard the nurse thinks requires a biohazard label is the Bloodborne Pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030. The nurse is wrong, of course: Here is the exception:1910.1030(g)(1)(i)(F)Containers of blood, blood components, or blood products that are labeled as to their contents and have been released for transfusion or other clinical use are exempted from the labeling requirements of paragraph (g).Paragraph (g) says you have to use a Biohazard label. That said, a unit of blood sure makes a big mess when you drop it and it isn't in a secondary container.I just love it when people try to quote the law to me. BC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhaig Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 Isn't it funny how nurses know it all?I don't know about regulations, but when our state inspector visited us last year and saw that when we issue blood products they all go into a clear biohazard bag for transport to the floors, he was pleased to see it. We had one unit get dropped on a elevator years ago when it slipped off of the top of the chart that the nurse was carrying it on top of. Needless to say this made a gigantic mess, so since then all units leaving the blood bank are placed in a clear biohazard bag. It may or may not be a strict regulation, but it's good practice and easy to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John C. Staley Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 Bob, sometimes you scare me!!! Did you just come up with that off the top of your head or did you have to look it up?I have no problem transporting blood in bags but I think it sends a poor message to anyone who sees it, if it is a biohazard bag. Frankly, if you walked into my room to transfuse me and pulled the blood from a biohazard bag I would be quite concerned and would probably make quite a fuss. That's assuming I'm in any kind of condition to make quite a fuss. Rest assured my wife the nurse would certainly take notice and try to save me. At least I hope she would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcurrie Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 John, I knew the parent reg (Bloodborne Pathogens) off the top of my head (29 CFR 1910.1030). But I also knew there was an exception within the regulations concerning blood for transfusion, just as there is an exception for phlebotomists working in donor centers allowing them to not have to wear gloves when drawing healthy donors. It is a legal tradition to give groups of regulations "nicknames". I have the entire Health and Safety Code as well as many other codes (all the 21 series, 29 series, and 42 series) on my desk, and I refer to them on a daily basis. But, you don't have to remember the code numbers if you can remember the nickname for the group of regulations. All you have to do is search for Bloodborne Pathogens and you will find the regulations, just as you will find the 21 series if you search for Current Good Manufacturing Practices. A search for CLIA will take you to the 42 series (Public Health). You should then have no trouble picking out 42 CFR 493 as the series of regs pertaining to laboratories.BC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evenings Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 If our pneumatic tube system is down, we dispense all blood\components in clear ziplock bags. There is no biohazard labeling on them. This is mainly for spill containment if the unit is dropped on the way to the unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donellda Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 We send our units out in clear, plastic zip lock bags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Eye Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 We send our blood in clear plastic bag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcurrie Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 I had an interim medical director (one of our pathologists) who decided that it was icky for blood to be transported in clear bags where people could actually see the blood (heavens!!!). He wanted us to purchase bags similar to those insulated lunch bags that are popular. As usual, I put a damper on his bright ideas when I told him that we would have to validate the bags for blood transport, keep cGMP logs documenting cleaning between transports or make them single use only, and train everyone to use them and document that training. He sure was glad to see the new medical director come aboard.BC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabel Adams Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Almost all blood that leaves our lab goes via pneumatic tube in plain zip-locks (they are way cheaper than bio bags in addition to their not mistakenly labeling the blood as biohazardous). So far the few units still picked up go out "naked", and probably still will--until one breaks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Olsen Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 We transport our blood products in white paper bags - our emphasis is on not having visitors pass out in the elevators when they see a unit of blood! "Knock on wood" we have never had a unit of blood drop and break! Perhaps we will change to colored zip-lock plastic bags (with out biohazard labeling) when that day comes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regina Castor Posted March 28, 2007 Share Posted March 28, 2007 We use a generic plastic bag at our facility (no biohazzard label) just in case the unit is dropped it doesn't splatter everwhere. I am not aware of doing this for any particular standard - it just made good sense to us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skopti Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 We place all Blood products in clear ziplock bags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 why do you have to use clear bags? we use navy bags, with our hospital logo on them One time use.?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMcCord Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 Cool! Where do you get them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcurrie Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 Heck, Liz, you don't have to use any bags at all, let alone clear bags.BC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 yes we are fussy about everything. the thing is that CAP requires a leak proof bag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 About where we get them, well, we order the bags and then they go to the printer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcurrie Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 yes we are fussy about everything. the thing is that CAP requires a leak proof bag. We draw our blood into Terumo bags, and I have yet to have one leak ;-) BC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 (edited) Dear BC,This is interesting. You do not use a cover bag. You use Terumo. If you don't mind I shall start a new thread about the collection bag.Liz Edited July 19, 2008 by Liz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eoin Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Hi Fellow slaves. We use clear plastic bags (overwraps) which the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (suppliers of blood / products / components) require to be left on till the unit is hung for T/X. This is audited by regulators. We also use RTBB0006 Labcold Blood Box a small red bx for transport to ward / theatre etc. to avoid bag being dropped and kept from public view. The company can be found at www.labcold.com. Cheers Eoin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adiescast Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 We use clear plastic food and utility bags that we usually refer to as "poultry bags." They are very inexpensive and do not zip closed, but they are large enough to contain a broken blood bag (yes, people do drop the silly things!). When we start tubing blood, I plan to switch to a zip-closure bag to ensure no leaking into the tube system from accidently broken bags. There really is no reason to mark blood overtly as biohazardous (although technically it is - look at the fuss they make when someone's child bleeds at an athletic event!). We haven't had a problem with the clear bag and visitor events, but we do have staff elevators (the servant's route) separate from the visitors elevators and the patient elevators (we are a large facility). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winter Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Are there any regulations concerning transporting platelet pheresis units in bags? I was recently told that a neighboring hospital doesn't because the air exchange should not be restricted. I have not seen any documentation to this effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaraT23 Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 The only containers we use are coolers ( that we test for temp/time every 6 months) and that is only if we are issuing more than one unit. This helps us with the 20 minute spiking regulations. We use hemo temp stickers as well, never have heard about anyone needing biohazard bags.... Hmmm those nurses, tut tut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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