What are The Universal Precautions in Forensics?

Blood-Borne Pathogens May be Present in Biological Evidence

There are many human pathogens that can be potentially deadly to people, such as HIV and Hepatitis B. Bodily fluids often found on crime scenes can carry these pathogens and potentially infect people who do not take precautionary measures.

Exposure can occur through broken skin, mucous membranes, and sometimes even by skin contact. (Ketcham & McLeod, 2006) Because of this, it is important to wear proper protective equipment to prevent the spread of infection. The universal precautions require the use of personal protective equipment or PPE when conducting an investigation and processing biological evidence.

Wear Your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Some examples of PPE are gloves, gowns, face shields/masks, and eye protection. (Ketcham & McLeod, 2006) When bodily fluids are present, it is best to assume that they are infectious and take proper precautions to protect yourself. 

Image by USFWS/Southeast via Flickr

Another reason to wear PPE is to protect the integrity of the evidence. Contamination and cross-contamination are serious issues with evidence. If evidence becomes contaminated, it will become inadmissible in court. The introduction of foreign DNA or other trace evidence should be prevented when processing a crime scene. By wearing gloves, a face mask, shoe covers, keeping hair tied back, and changing dirty PPE frequently you can help prevent contaminating evidence.

Avoid Contaminating Evidence

Also, avoid sneezing, coughing, eating, smoking, and otherwise contaminating the crime scene with outside materials. (Saferstein, 2009) Cross-contamination occurs when evidence comes in contact with other items of evidence. It could happen from tracking evidence around the crime scene on the bottom of your shoes, using contaminated instruments, not changing gloves between items of evidence, or improperly packaging evidence together. To help prevent cross-contamination, change gloves frequently, use sterilized or disposable instruments, and package all evidence separately. (Saferstein, 2009)

References

Ketcham, G. & McLeod, V. (2006) Blood, Sweat and Fears, BBP: Part 1. Retrieved on September 28, 2011 from http://www.forensicmag.com/article/blood-sweat-and-fears-bbp-part-1?page=0,0

Lister, J. (n.d.) Universal Precautions in the Forensics Field. Retrieved on September 28, 2011 from http://www.ehow.com/list_6464269_universal-precautions-forensics-field.html

Saferstein, R. (2009) Forensic Science: From the Crime Scene to the Crime Lab. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.