blood and ear wax risks

[KAZ]

I work with hearing aids, often I see ear wax and even dried blood on these devices, please can anyone tell me if there is any risk of infection with this?

[acw]

Risk of infection to you?  Not unless you lick the hearing aids, swalow them, or rub them on an open wound on you body.  Same as how you can't catch AIDS by using the same toilet/plate/spoon/telephone as someone with AIDS. 

[misska]

Hi Kaz. I don't think you could get anything from the ear wax and you definely can't get AIDS from the blood because it has to be fresh blood, not dry blood. But I know that you can get hepatitis from dry blood, I can't remember which stain. I'd say the risk is really low and if you wear gloves then non-existent.

[acw]

But you can only get hepatitis if the dry blood goes into your system - by licking or contact with an open wound.  Just touching dry hepatitis blood won't have any effect at all!

[KAZ]

This concern recently came up at work as we had a repair sent to us from an MRSA patient. We do not wear gloves, we use a knife when working with the hearing aids and also the ear impressions themselves which nearly always have wax on them. if someone were to accidently cut themselves with this knife it is obviously very dirty. However I assume that the risk of any infection must be low as the company have not advised staff to be immunised against anything. I know that when I was dental nursing I had to have a Hepatitis B jab.

Thanks for all the info!

[acw]

KAZ - just remember that your bosses will be aware of the law - as well as caring about you personally, they don't want to get sued!  They are therefore very unlikely to be putting you at risk.  Sorry if my answers seems obtuse, I simply had no idea a knife would be involved.  *blushes*  What on EARTH are you doing to these things!?!  I'm curious now! :-)