La Crosse NFWCO biologist Ann Runstrom cautiously uses a syringe and hypodermic needle to implant a PIT tag in a juvenile lake sturgeon. Photo credit: USFWS.

Collecting tissue sample to evaluate the health of wild fish can require the use of knives, scalpels, or other sharp instruments that may cause accidental injuries and transmit bloodborne pathogens. Photo credit: USFWS.

A Service biologist cautiously uses a scalpel to surgically implant a transmitter in the body cavity of an Asian carp. Photo credit: USFWS.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Emergency Procedure Policy requires that each work activity (i.e., office, work site, field crew) have at least one person currently trained in First Aid and Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation.  Trained individuals who may suddenly be called upon to provide these types of emergency medical care have an increased risk of exposure to infectious bloodborne agents that may cause a life threatening disease (e.g., hepatitis B, hepatitis C, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).  Employees who handle sharp objects, or who are likely to be bitten by vectors (e.g., ticks, mosquitoes) that may transmit agents of serious diseases (e.g., West Nile, Lyme, encephalitis), also have an increased risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens.  To help reduce such health risks, Service offices are required to offer annual blood-borne pathogens training to employees like these.  Therefore, a total of twelve Service employees from two fishery offices (La Crosse NFWCO, La Crosse FHC) and one refuge office (UMRNFWR-La Crosse District) attended a bloodborne pathogens training course held June 10 at the Fish and Wildlife Resource Center in Onalaska, Wisconsin.  Presented by Dennis Waller, a full-time emergency medical technician and part-time volunteer for the Scenic Bluffs Chapter of the American Red Cross, this American Red Cross training program introduced employees to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration bloodborne pathogens standard (29 CFR part 1910.1030) and emphasized universal precautions, personal protective equipment, and workplace practices that should be used to reduce the likelihood of bloodborne disease transmission. Each of these employees later received a certificate recognizing their successful completion of this training which is valid for one year.