Page 274 - AIDSBK23C

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MORTUARY AND FORENSIC LABORATORY PROCEDURES

There is minimal risk of exposure to HIV for funeral directors and licensed embalmers
with use of proper precautions. Bodies they receive should be handled in designated work areas
that can be routinely disinfected. Personnel handling the bodies should wear a protective
waterproof gown or apron, mask and protective eyewear (or face shield), and disposable gloves.
Needles and other sharp objects require careful handling with proper disposal into puncture-
proof containers. A waterproof, leak proof shroud or body bag should be used for transport of
bodies.
The CDC has made the following specific recommendations for personnel working in
forensic laboratories:[160]

Blood from ALL individuals should be considered potentially infective. In order to
supplement other work site precautions, the following precautions are recommended for workers
in forensic laboratories.

1. All specimens of blood should be put in a well-constructed, appropriately labeled
container with a secure lid to prevent leaking during transport. Care should be taken
when collecting each specimen to avoid contaminating the outside of the container and
the laboratory form accompanying the specimen.

2. All persons processing blood specimens should wear gloves. Masks and protective
eyewear or face shields should be worn if mucous-membrane contact with blood is
anticipated (e.g., removing tops from vacuum tubes). Hands should be washed after
completion of specimen processing.

3. For routine procedures, such as histologic and pathologic studies or microbiological
culturing, a biological safety cabinet is not necessary. However, biological safety
cabinets (Class I or II) should be used whenever procedures are conducted that have a
high potential for generating droplets. These include activities such as blending,
sonicating, and vigorous mixing.

4. Mechanical pipetting devices should be used for manipulating all liquids in the
laboratory. Mouth pipetting must not be done.

5. Use of needles and syringes should be limited to situations in which there is no
alternative, and the recommendations for preventing injuries with needles outlined under
universal precautions should be followed.

6. Laboratory work surfaces should be cleaned of visible materials and then decontaminated
with an appropriate chemical germicide after a spill of blood, semen, or
blood-contaminated body fluid when work activities are completed.