Communicable Disease Procedures and Guidelines
I. Rule
Central Piedmont complies with State Board of Community Colleges Code 1C SBCCC 200.94 (5), which requires all colleges to have a communicable disease policy.
II. Purpose
Central Piedmont Community College is committed to providing, to the extent possible, a healthy and safe educational and working environment for all students, employees, and visitors to our campuses. The purpose of the Central Piedmont Communicable Disease Policy is to help prevent the spread of communicable disease through measures that focus on safety, prevention, and education, while prohibiting discrimination against persons afflicted with communicable diseases. In furtherance of this purpose, the College will consider making reasonable accommodation to employees and students, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, while simultaneously protecting the campus and public’s health. In turn, the College expects individuals who have been exposed, have symptoms of, or have contracted an illness or disease identified in this policy, to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with protocols established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and protocols articulated by the public health agencies of the State of North Carolina and Mecklenburg County.
III. Procedures and Guidelines
In the event of a communicable disease occurrence within the surrounding region or state that is clearly in excess of normal expectancy, or reaches the outbreak classification, the College will monitor the situation by maintaining continual communication with local and state health officials to provide timely and appropriate updates to the College community.
Depending on the severity or categorical aspect of a specific event, less serious communicable disease occurrences will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. Central Piedmont will also consult with local and state health officials to provide any specific instructions for individuals returning to the College following an infection of a reportable communicable disease. Central Piedmont will also inform members of the College community about current information regarding communicable diseases.
The College has also established procedures and guidelines for students applying to and enrolled in health sciences programs of study and employees to mitigate the risk of exposure to communicable diseases. The following reflects efforts by the College on behalf of both students and employees.
I. Procedures and Guidelines for Student-Applicants to or Students Enrolled in Health Science Programs
A. Student Applicants
- Any student applicant in a health sciences or related program who has HIV, hepatitis B, or other bloodborne disease will be individually evaluated. All enrollment decisions concerning the individual shall be based upon a consideration of the following factors:
- The potential harm that the individual poses to other people;
- The ability of the individual to accomplish the objectives of the course or curriculum; and,
- Whether or not reasonable accommodation can be made that will enable the individual to safely and efficiently accomplish the objectives and/or tasks of the course or curriculum in question without significantly exposing the individual or other persons to the risk of infection.
- All student applicants who have a known blood borne disease will be assessed, as needed, by his/her physician in keeping with the current standards, requirements, and recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and in keeping with the provisions of College policy.
- The evaluation of a student applicant with a known blood borne disease will include a physician’s statement of the individual’s health status as it relates to the individual’s ability to adequately and safely accomplish the essential objectives of their course or curriculum.
- The physician’s statement must also indicate the nature and extent of the individual’s susceptibility to infectious diseases that may be encountered when accomplishing the objectives of the individual’s course or curriculum.
B. Students Enrolled in Health Fields of Study
- All program-specific policies and procedures will be reviewed during orientation/class.
- Additional documents and information can be found on the EHS intranet site (Central Piedmont login required).
- Specific HPHS guidelines regarding contagious diseases and other medical conditions (PDF) can be found under the file labeled as such on the EHS website.
II. Procedures and Guidelines for Employee Classifications
The College will endeavor to protect employees from infectious diseases by implementing the Bloodborne Pathogens Manual for Employees (PDF).
A. Classification of Work Activity
Employees in high risk exposure positions will be classified in one of two categories of potential exposure:
1. Category I
These are jobs/positions in which required tasks routinely involve a potential for mucous membrane or skin contact with blood, body fluids, tissue, or potential spills or splashes.
2. Category II
These are jobs/positions in which required tasks normally do not involve exposure to blood, body fluids, or tissues with no (expected) exposure risk.
Employees’ normal work routine involves no exposure to blood, body fluids, or tissue
B. Control Measures
Exposure risks should be evaluated and one or more of the following controls instituted as appropriate.
1. Universal Precautions
Control procedures that treat all human blood and other potentially infectious materials as if they are infectious.
2. Engineering Controls
The use of available technology and devices to isolate or remove hazards from the workers.
3. Work Practice Controls
Alterations in the manner in which a task is performed in an effort to reduce the likelihood of a worker’s exposure to infectious materials.
4. Personal Protective Equipment
When there is possible occupational exposure, the College will provide, at no cost to the employee, appropriate personal protective equipment. Examples of such includes gloves, gowns, masks, eye protection, mouthpieces, resuscitation bags, pocket masks, or other ventilation devices. These items should be purchased and maintained via individual departments or programs.
Personal protective equipment will be considered appropriate only if it does not permit blood or other potentially infectious materials to pass through to or reach the employee’s work clothes, skin, eyes, mouth, or other mucous membranes under normal conditions of use and for the duration of time which the protective equipment will be used.
5. Vaccinations
The HBV vaccination shall be offered at no cost to all employees whose jobs involve the risk of directly contacting potentially infectious materials listed in Category I and II as follows:
All Category I employees may receive the HBV vaccine at no cost or may reject the vaccination by written statement.
- Vaccination instructions, and forms, are provided during BBP Training via NeoEd.
- Specific questions regarding vaccination can be directed to the office of Environmental Health and Safety (Central Piedmont login required).
6. Training and Education of Students and Employees
All Category I employees will be required to participate in training approved by Central Piedmont Environmental Health & Safety.
- Students: All students in health-related fields will be taught universal precautions and receive bloodborne pathogens training in specific sections of study relating to infection control (Category I).
- Employees: Category I employees will be educated according to new regulations on bloodborne pathogens via NeoEd. Additional education and updates on new changes in bloodborne pathogens will be required as educational workshops are scheduled.