My sister got bitten by one of the kids she works with, her employer have not told her about hepatitis....?

Question

She's had no induction and no-one she works with seems to know what the company procedure is so she went to her GP who has told her she needs to go through the occupational health service. How do you get in contact with them? Have her employers broken any laws or rules by not having a procedure or at least not telling the staff what to do if they get bitten?

Answer 1

Bites from humans are relatively common in some settings and these
often become infected. Human bites frequently occur in care settings for
children or people with learning disabilities. Injuries may also occur during
fights where teeth break the skin. Most of these human bites occur on the
fingers or hands.
Bite wounds may be contaminated with pathogens, even if there are no
clinical signs of infection. Bacteria that often contaminate human bites
include streptococci, Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus spp and
Bacteroides spp and other anaerobes. Transmission of viruses (e.g.
hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV) following human bites is much less common.
If medical attention is delayed (e.g. more than 12 hours after the injury),
localised cellulitis, lymphangitis and regional lymphadenopathy may be
present. Individuals who are immunocompromised are at risk of
developing particularly severe infections.

The most common complication following a bite is a bacterial infection of the wound. See a doctor if the skin surrounding a wound becomes more tender, painful, swollen, or inflamed over the next few days. Rarely, some bacteria can get into the bloodstream through a wound and cause a serious infection in the body. See a doctor if you become generally unwell with fever (high temperature), shivers, or other worrying symptoms within a week or so after a bite.


Except from Ocupational Document:

People whose work or other activities put them at increased risk of human
bites should be risk assessed, offered hepatitis B vaccination where
appropriate and have their tetanus vaccination status reviewed. They
should be made aware of immediate action following a bite.
In all cases an accident/incident report should be completed. Each
organisation should ensure that it has appropriate arrangements in place
for the reporting and recording of untoward incidents.
Where a wound occurs in the workplace, staff should inform their
manager. Staff experiencing a bite that breaks the skin must report these
as potential blood borne virus exposure to the appropriate Occupational
Health Department for follow up.

Any place of work should have identified the possiblity that they are at risk of being bitten this should be within their Health and Safety documentation.

Check with the Health and Safety Manager.

This Information is for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional.

Answer 2

Hepatitis B is the most common serious liver infection in the world. It is thought to be the leading cause of liver cancer. The disease is caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) that attacks the liver. The virus is transmitted through blood and bodily fluids that contain blood. This can occur through direct blood-to-blood contact, unprotected sex, and illicit drug use. It can also be passed from an infected woman to her new-born during the delivery process. Medical reports however says that about 50% of those who carry the virus never develop any symptoms. Hepatitis B virus can be prevented by the use of a safe and effective vaccine.

Answer 3

i worked in a residential home for the elderly mentally impaired and i got bitten also on the thumb, it went all manky and i genuinely thought i'd have to have it amputated.

the residential home did nothing but i got treatment from my doctor and it healed after a few weeks. they should certainly have an incident book and procedures to undertake in these circumstances. speak to the Citizens Advise Bureau or a claim agency, regarding her legal options

Answer 4

If she works in a care home (e.g. for children with learning difficulties, etc.) with many resident kids, she should have had a course of injections for Hep B. I don't think this applies to small nurseries or day schools for normal children.

Answer 5

i work with people with drug/alcohol problems and rough sleepers.and i was told to get hepatits jabs.and my doctor done then1 jab right away.2 booster a month later and the last 1 6 months later.if her gp has a nurse she will do it.go back to the doctors and ask again.

Answer 6

are you in the UK or united states the reason I ask is because proceedures are totally different . In the states we have what is called workmans comp and they are supposed to take care of everything and you are supposed to report the incident to your employer I dont know how it works in the UK. I hope i was of some help. good luck .

Answer 7

Yes, they have broken the rules. She should have had a hepatitus jab.