This brief article is to notify you of two NEW DEVELOPMENTS specifically related to the operation of police property rooms.

The first one is the release of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) evaluation of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Property and Evidence Unit. It was prompted by complaints of employees that they were being exposed to bio-hazardous material in the evidence drying room, used for drying of such contaminated material as blood and body fluid soaked articles of clothing, clothing recovered from sewers, and items such as blankets or sleeping bags from which bodies had been recovered. The report provided a set of recommendations including regular preventive maintenance of the ventilation system, appropriate protective clothing, worker training related to preventing exposure to blood borne pathogens, and referral of exposed employees to a healthcare provider specially trained in this area.

The report is too large for inclusion here, but you can obtain a copy of the report, NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation 96-0241-2634, from the NIOSH Publication Office, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH, 45226. They can be reached by phone at (800) 356-4674.

The second development is hot off the internet home page of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Health and Safety, Biosafety Branch (http://www.cdc.gov).  It is entitled "Use of Bleach in Prevention of Transmission of HIV in Health Care Settings." It reports that HIV is inactivated rapidly after being exposed to commonly used chemical germicides at much lower concentrations than are commonly used. It reports that household bleach diluted at a ratio of 1: 100 to 1: 10 is effective, depending on the amount of organic material present.