Blood Bourne Viruses
Your help is needed to improve services to staff
Have you been exposed to blood or body fluids while on duty?
Incidents involving needlestick injuries, other
sharps injuries, bites, scratches and splashes
to broken skin can result in exposure to
someone else's blood or body fluids, and the
possibility of infection from blood borne
viruses (BBVs) such as HIV, hepatitis B
(HBV) or hepatitis C (HCV). Any such
incidents should be reported by police
officers and staff to their Occupational Health department.
Concerns for the well-being of staff exposed to blood and/or body fluids have been voiced by the Scottish Police Federation in a petition to the Scottish Parliament which resulted in a Short Life Working Group being convened by the Scottish Executive Justice Department. The group identified that little is currently known about the size of the problem within the police service, or about the services currently provided to staff who are exposed. They therefore recommended that a service evaluation be undertaken.
From July to December 2007, a service evaluation will be conducted across all Scottish police forces. Its aim is to evaluate the current services provided to staff who are potentially exposed to BBVs while at work, with a view to recommending a consistent and high quality approach to occupational exposure management across all police forces in Scotland. The evaluation is being carried out by researchers at the University of Paisley and Health Protection Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Executive Justice Department. It has the backing of the Scottish Police Federation, ACPOS, ASPS, and the force medical advisers.
What you can do to help
It is well recognised that occupational exposures to blood or body fluids are markedly underreported in the police service. If the study is to evaluate current services successfully, it is crucial that all police officers and support staff report any blood and/or body fluid exposures to their Occupational Health department.
During the study period, if you report an exposure to blood and/or body fluids to Occupational Health, you will be asked to consent to the details of the incident being forwarded to the research team. Any information sent to the team will be anonymised. It will not contain any details which could identify you. You will also be asked to complete a short follow-up questionnaire, again anonymously, on how you felt about the help you received from services.
This evaluation is for your benefit. Although the risk of BBV infection from occupational exposure to blood and/or body fluids in the police setting is considered to be relatively low, those exposed to such risks are entitled to the best possible care. All staff are therefore encouraged to report all exposure incidents involving blood and/or body fluids to Occupational Health and to take part in the evaluation. Please give the evaluation your support.
