Final answer:
A health care worker must wear a protective coat, face protection, and cut-resistant gloves when wiping up a spill of blood to prevent exposure to bloodborne pathogens.
Step-by-step explanation:
When wiping up a spill of blood, a health care worker must wear at a minimum a protective coat, face protection, and cut-resistant gloves to protect themselves from potential exposure to bloodborne pathogens. These precautions help prevent the transmission of infectious diseases.
For instance, contact with skin should be immediately washed with detergent and warm water without scrubbing. Then, the skin should be washed with 1 N NaOH or a 1:10 dilution of bleach for 1 minute to further disinfect it. This reduces the risk of contamination.
It is important for health care workers to follow proper protocols and use appropriate protective equipment to minimize the spread of infection.