| Standard precautions are utilized when Early Intervention services are delivered. Health and Safety Standards for the Early Intervention Program and Frequently Asked Questions Revised – February 2010 |
| Specific criteria that did not meet standard: The individual provider or one or more agency staff did not describe the following: |
| PI-49.3 Interview – The solution to sanitize surfaces, toys or equipment that have been contaminated by blood or bodily fluids is 1 tablespoon of bleach in 1 quart water prepared fresh each day, or an equivalent product effective against HIV and Hepatitis is used. |
| Technical Assistance for providers:Providers must ensure that universal precautions are utilized when early intervention services are being delivered. A supply of disposable gloves must be available in the service area, including in home and community settings, to be readily accessible for use in accordance with universal precautions and must be used when in contact with body fluids. Additionally, practice must ensure the use of universal precautions when handling potentially infectious bodily fluids (e.g., blood), including cleaning and disinfecting of soiled surfaces and adequate disposal of waste. A sanitizing solution of 1 tablespoon of bleach in 1 quart of water prepared fresh each day, or an equivalent product, must be used to disinfect when potentially infectious bodily fluids (e.g., blood) are present. If an equivalent product is used for disinfectant purposes, including a commercially prepared product or solution, it must be used according to the manufacturer’s instructions and must be stated in writing to be effective against HIV and Hepatitis B and C, and safe for use with young children. Practice must also include the disposal of waste in a secure, leak-proof plastic bag, a sharps container or disposal in covered plastic lined waste cans.Due to the declared state of emergency for COVID-19, the New York State Department of Health Bureau of Early Intervention is revising the Health and Safety Standards for the Early Intervention Program guidance document. Please be aware that additional guidance will be forthcoming. In the interim, providers should state in their written Health & Safety policies and procedures that they will use cleaning and disinfecting products for handling bodily fluids and soiled surfaces according to the directions on the label for safe and effective usage, and must additionally note that they will update their Health and Safety policies and procedures when the successor document becomes available.Additionally, it is important to note that the practice of bringing the same toys or other materials into multiple homes and community-based settings during in-person EI service delivery has the potential to transmit COVID-19 or other viral or bacterial infections. Therefore, until further notice, bringing materials and toys from outside into home and community-based settings is strictly prohibited.Please consult the Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) list of products registered in New York State and identified by the EPA as effective against COVID-19 when used according to label direction, at the following link:https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus/list-n-advanced-search-page-disinfectants-coronavirus-covid-19 |