5HTC.3.1 Communicable Diseases Procedure

Chapter 5 Administration

Implementation Procedure

Hennepin Technical College adopts the guidelines regarding communicable diseases as established by the Minnesota Department of Health and/or other health organizations. The college president will designate a college Safety Officer who is trained and knowledgeable and whose background and/or position is relevant to the responsibility involved. The Safety Officer will act in a support and advisory capacity to the college president, serve as liaison to the community regarding matters related to communicable disease, and may also coordinate training regarding communicable disease.

Admission/Attendance of Students with Contagious Disease

The purpose of this policy is to minimize interruptions to learning resulting from communicable diseases. Students with communicable diseases will not be excluded from attending school in their regular classrooms so long as their attendance does not create a substantial risk of the transmission of illness to other students or employees of the college. The Safety Officer will confer with public health officials as needed to assess level of risk.

Action Plan and Data Privacy

Health data regarding students and employees is private data (Minnesota Statutes §13.32 Subd. 2, and §13.43, Subd. 2). Hennepin Technical College respects all individuals' right to data privacy and will safeguard this right. The sharing of this information with non-eligible individuals is considered a serious breach of professional ethics as well as a violation of law. Any willful disclosure of information may constitute just cause for suspension or dismissal from employment. In all cases in which the college president (or the college president's designee) becomes aware that a student or employee of the college has contracted a chronic or life-threatening communicable disease, the college president will inform public health authorities of the situation in accordance with the state rule on communicable diseases (Minn. Rules Part 4605.7040).

Reporting

1. Incident Reporting – Faculty or staff will follow the guidelines and MN Chapter 4605 Communicable Disease Rule regarding reportable infectious diseases.
2. Accident Report – In the event a student or employee has significant exposure to fluids, secretion or excretion, the student or employee is to report the incident immediately to the instructor, supervisor or dean. The instructor, supervisor or dean is to complete Hennepin Technical College’s IDF (Injury, Illness, Incident Data Form) for an employee or “State of Minnesota General Liability Incident Report” for students. Significant exposure occurs when infectious body fluids or tissues come in contact with a person's blood or mucous membranes. This includes needle sticks, puncture wounds, or skin breaks.