Certified Healthcare Safety Professional (CHSP) Practice Exam

Who is considered a source individual in the context of occupational exposure?

1. Any employee at the facility

2. A person handling laundry

3. Any individual whose blood may expose employees

4. Healthcare staff interacting with patients

The correct answer is: Any individual whose blood may expose employees

In the context of occupational exposure, particularly in healthcare settings, a source individual is defined as someone whose blood or other potentially infectious materials could pose a risk of transmission to employees. This includes any individual who has blood that is capable of transmitting infectious diseases, placing them in the position of being a source of exposure through direct contact or contamination. The other choices do not align with the established definition of a source individual. Not every employee at the facility qualifies as a source individual, as the term specifically pertains to individuals whose bodily fluids could carry pathogens. Although healthcare staff interacting with patients may encounter source individuals, they themselves are not considered source individuals unless they have infected bodily fluids. Similarly, a person handling laundry may interact with contaminated materials, but does not directly act as a source unless they are handling items that come from a source individual. Therefore, the correct answer focuses precisely on individuals whose blood can endanger the health of others.