Safety around blood

Taking care with blood at home

There are some basic rules, called “universal precautions,” about being careful around blood—the idea being to make sure your blood doesn’t come into contact with someone else’s bloodstream and vice versa. Following the rules will help keep you and others around you healthy by reducing the chance for infections like Hep C and HIV to spread.  

You can:

• Take care when you clean up blood spills.
  • Wear gloves—they should only be used once and then thrown away.
  • If broken glass or other sharp objects are around, remove them carefully before cleaning up the blood spill.
  • Create a solution by mixing at least 1 part bleach with 9 parts water to clean the area.
• Keep cuts and sores bandaged while they heal.
• Have your own grooming supplies (razors, toothbrushes and nail clippers) and avoid using other people’s tools.

Sharing dishes, cups and glasses is not a risk for Hep C (or HIV).

Taking care with blood in healthcare settings

Healthcare workers have to follow some general rules about being careful with people’s blood or body fluids, too. These rules are called “routine practices,” “infection control procedures,” or “universal precautions,” and they serve to protect the healthcare worker and the patient. This means that healthcare workers will wear a new pair of gloves whenever there could be blood present from anyone, not just people they know have Hep C. For example, whenever a nurse takes someone’s blood he or she will wear gloves, regardless of whether or not the person has Hep C. This keeps any germs on the nurse’s hands away from the patient and keeps the patient’s blood away from the nurse’s hands. Some patients might think this means that their healthcare worker is afraid to touch them, but it’s really for everyone’s protection.

Revised 2011.