Become Militant About Using Personal Protective Equipment To Avoid Pathogen Exposure

From pink eye to MRSA, septic service technicians are at great risk for pathogen exposure, according to a Washington state study.

Jan 28, 2015 | by Doug Day |

Safety Personal Protection Equipment Washington On-Site Sewage Association (WOSSA) Bacteria Education Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Become Militant About Using Personal Protective Equipment To Avoid Pathogen Exposure — Contact John Thomas, executive director of the Washington On-Site Sewage Association, at executivedirector@wossa.org.

Hundreds of infectious agents live in human waste. The bad news is that many workers in the industry are not properly protecting themselves. The good news is that it’s relatively easy to upgrade personal protective equipment (PPE) to shield field technicians from the bacteria, viruses, protozoa and parasites found on the job.The risk is made clearer by a 2013 study of pathogen exposure by the Washington On-Site Sewage Association, according to Executive Director John Thomas. A $138,005 Safety and Health Investment Project (SHIP) Grant from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries funded the WOSSA field and laboratory study.The

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