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CASE 7: AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT BLOOD SPILL

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Case 7 Photos

 

To begin the project, the outside of the car must be disinfected after the application of personal protective equipment.  Once the outside of the car has been treated with the primary disinfectant (Shockwave), the technician then opened the door and begin applying disinfectant throughout the interior.  The cause of the blood spill was an airbag deployment.  

 

The airbag injured the driver significantly and once the driver was removed from the car the blood spread from the interior down the exterior of the car on the driver side doors.  Carpet found in a home is best cut from the underside with a razor.  Pushing a razor blade through the woven fabric underneath provides a more consistent surface for the blade opposed to the long carpet fiber on the top side.  

 

The carpet most often applied in automobiles is thinner and it is easier to cut an opening with a razor blade and then use high-quality scissors.  The biological contamination was concentrated in the front of the driver’s side exterior, interior, recesses in the driver’s door controls, the driver’s seat, carpet, and collection in between the console and driver’s seat.  The exterior seals on the door were intact and the blood collected along the window seals on the driver’s side.

 

The blood-affected material extends to portions of the car from the incident and exit from the vehicle.  The entire driver’s side exterior had to be disinfected and the blood removed before any work could begin in the car.  The blood-affected airbag and the biological material recovered from the interior of the vehicle was disposed of in accordance with OSHA Standard 1910.1030.  The blood was recovered from the non-porous surfaces with disinfectant solution and cloth rags and discarded as medical waste.  

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