HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93008_2090VOTING: Ayes 4: Nays 0.
BOARD OF EQUALIZATION AND REVIEW: Motion from Commissioner Madison to suspend the rules so a
replacement member can be appointed to the board of equalization and review.
VOTING: Ayes 4; Nays 0.
Commissioner Haire nominated Floy Kelly to serve on the Iredell County Board of Equalization
and Review.
There were no other nominations.
tion.
MOTION from Commissioner Madison to close the nominations and appoint Mrs. Kelly by acclama-
VOTING: Ayes 4; Nays 0.
PLAQUE TO BE HUNG IN THE DOWNSTAIRS HALL OF THE IREDELL COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER (FORMERLY
CALLED THE OLD COURTHOUSE) TO HONOR CARL SMITH: MOTION from Commissioner Mitchell to allow the Carl
Smith family to put up a plaque in the downstairs hallway of the Iredell County Government Center,
near the door of the office where Mr. Smith worked for so many of his fifty years of service as
Clerk of Court. This plaque is to be purchased by his family and placed in the building in Mr. Carl
Smith's honor.
VOTING: Ayes 4; Nays 0.
F`1* MANAGER'S REPORT
OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR DEALING WITH BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS: Mr. Al Upton, manager of EMS, was
present to discuss this issue. Mr. Joel Mashburn said recent OSHA regulations have created a lot of
concerns and additional requirements for very stringent measures to be taken to protect employees
from possible infection from bloodborne pathogens. New guidelines, regulations, and standards have
to be complied with by May 5. Hepatitis B vaccinations must be offered to "at risk" employees by
July 5, 1992. The county has already been offering the Hepatitis B vaccinations prior to this time,
Mr. Mashburn said; however, we have had no compliance plan. Mr. Upton has worked with the
departments that are considered "at risk" and has developed a plan for each of these departments.
Mr. Upton said this has been under consideration by the state for the past year. He has
attended a workshop that dealt with infection control. One of the OSHA staff members was speaker at
this conference. He took along one of our local policies and had them look it over, and it has now
been upgraded and is in compliance with OSHA as far as infection control and the bloodborne patho-
gens are concerned, OSHA says these regulations apply to law enforcement, health department, and
landfill, as well as EMS staff. Mr. Upton has coordinated these departments to see that these
regulations are updated by May 5th, 1992, the day of implementation. Each department has its own
policy.
Mr. Mashburn said the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners says all the county
has to do to be in compliance is to present these policies to the board and for the board of
commissioners to acknowledge receipt of them. The clerk to the board to have the policies on file
in her office. Each agency is responsible for seeing that its policy is carried out.
By consensus, the board acknowledged receipt of these policies.
NOTE: Policies on file in the Office of the Clerk to the Board. Filed titled "POLICIES FOR
BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS."
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HEPATITIS B VACCINATIONS: Commissioner Mitchell inquired if the EMS staff have their Hepatitis
B shots now. Davis Hospital has been providing the shots; however, Mr. Upton has learned that he
can get them much cheaper on State contract price. They have been paying $150 for a series of
shots. They can get them under State contract for under $100. Commissioner Mitchell stated they
were looking at $90 each for the volunteer firemen. There is a series of three shots, which is
comprised of an initial injection followed by a shot a month later and the third shot six months
after the second shot. Mr. Upton gave the shots for the landfill staff. They furnished the serum
and the EMS gave the shots.
Mr. Mashburn said the NCACC highly recommends that the fire departments to have the Vaccina-
tions.
MEDICAL WASTE AT THE LANDFILL: Mr. Mashburn brought up the matter of medical waste at the
landfill. He said at the next meeting he is bringing information to the board and asking for
authorization to reject medical waste at the landfill. All the studies that he has done regarding
the landfill show that it is almost impossible to keep the landfill employees from coming in contact
with possible bloodborne pathogens. He will make a presentation at the next meeting; however, the
county is not supposed to be receiving regulated medical waste at the landfill now. If it is
received, it is because it is not known about by the staff. Non-regulated medical waste is now
controlled by OSHA. There are companies who accept this waste, Mr. Mashburn said.
LIBRARY BUDGETS: Mr. Mashburn said he has received information from the State that says if the
County reduces its appropriation to the Library, the State will withhold its funding to the county.
We receive $128,000 from the State for the library. This is one of the concerns of reducing the
library budget, Mr. Mashburn said. Mr. Mashburn has conferred with the North Carolina Association
Is