|
The Western
School District is subject to federal regulation from the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to restrict the spread of
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immune deficiency virus (HIV) in the
workplace. These regulations are designed to protect employees of
the district who are, or could be exposed to blood or other contaminated
body fluids while performing their job duties.
Because of the very serious consequences of contracting HBV or HIV, the
district is committed to taking the necessary precautions to protect both
students and staff from its spread in the school environment.
Part of the federally mandated procedures include a requirement that the
district request the person who is bleeding to consent to be tested for
HBV or HIV. This information would then be provided both to the
exposed employee and the treating physician to determine the proper
medical treatment.
The law does not require parents or guardians to grant permission for the
examination of their child's blood, but does require the district to
request the consent. Although we expect that incidents of exposure
will be few, we wanted to notify parents of these requirements ahead of
time. That way, if the situation does develop, you will understand
the reason for our request and will have an opportunity to consider it in
advance. These are serious diseases and we sincerely hope that
through proper precautions and cooperation we can prevent them from
spreading.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact William
Childs, Business Manager, at (517) 841-8100. |
