Incident Policy

In the event of a laboratory accident involving a Clinical Laboratory Science student, the following steps must be followed:

1. The student must immediately notify his/her laboratory instructor and education coordinator concerning the nature of the accident.
2. The student must complete a Division of Clinical Laboratory Science incident report, with the help of the laboratory instructor. This form is also available from the CLS office. If a patient specimen was involved, the patient's identifying information must be recorded to be given to the treating provider.
3. The student must go to Student Health Services or the appropriate emergency care site for the facility, and alert the medical personnel there of the emergency status of the injury. The original incident form needs to accompany the student to the appropriate emergency treatment site. (For each assigned rotation, students are informed of the appropriate site for emergency treatment.) The education coordinator or laboratory instructor must notify the Division of Clinical Laboratory Science at 966-3011.
4. Medical personnel must provide treatment of the injury and the appropriate follow-up. It is the responsibility of the treating provider to investigate the patient's history and determine what medical treatment is appropriate.
5. The treating provider must provide documentation of follow-up care to the student. The student must bring this documentation, along with the original incident report, to the Clinical Laboratory Science Safety Coordinator. (Copies of the completed report must be made for the treating provider so that the student may retain the original.)
6. The original incident report will be placed in the student's file. A copy of the completed incident report will be sent to the UNC Health and Safety Office.

UNC Student Health Services' Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Protocol may be obtained at http://campushealth.unc.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=121&Itemid=84

More resources regarding bloodborne pathogen exposure, needlestick care, and post-exposure prophylaxis are listed at http://campushealth.unc.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=108&Itemid=65

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