Last week you began to feel sick.  You started feeling very fatigued and had a fever. You began to feel nauseous with a pain in your abdomen and even though you had no appetite you forced yourself to eat, only to vomit up your meal. Your urine was dark, too dark for all the fluids you were drinking and your stool looked gray like creek clay.  Something was wrong, really wrong. 

You contacted your doctor, maybe they could get you into the office next week, but you explained your symptoms and suddenly there was a sense of urgency because they could see your right away.  After arriving at the office a battery of tests were given, blood was drawn. The doctor came in to see you, and like a detective solving a crime began questioning you about your symptoms. The doctor asks your occupation and you reply ‘Terminal Cleaning Specialist”.  The next question takes you off guard, have you had any contact with bloodborne pathogens? 

Then you remember, two months ago, that even while gloved up, you had pushed down on trash marked biohazard and received a pin prick in your palm.  It was just a slight sting, but you thought nothing of it. You tell your doctor of this.  And his diagnosis makes you feel light headed and tingly in a bad way.  Your doctor thinks you have contracted Hepatitis B.  The doctor will put you on antivirals until the results return in 1 - 3 weeks.  If it comes back positive for HBV, there is a vaccine, but in the meanwhile you will continue to feel sick, even though the medicine should start to help. You're sent home to rest, no work until results come back…what will you do for income? 

You thought you had followed all the right steps, this wasn't your first rodeo, you have been cleaning for years. You knew about Blood Borne Pathogens, micro-organisms that could make you sick. You had washed up, gloved up, masked up even put on those gowns and booties. But it was that one mistake of pushing down on the trash and that second mistake of not telling your supervisor.

Had you only remembered your training this wouldn’t be your reality.