We at Intoximeters are not experts on infectious diseases and would urge our customers to seek direction from medical experts for questions related to the transmission of any disease. There are, however, several issues to consider with regard to reducing the likelihood of disease transmission when using a breath alcohol detection device.
Removing yourself from direct contact with the subject’s bodily fluids, including their breath is obviously a good practice. Certain instruments, such as the Alco-Sensor IV, are designed to help you to achieve this.
Wearing protective equipment, such as gloves, masks or respirators is a precaution that will further reduce the likelihood of disease transmission.
Washing your hands after testing a subject is also a good practice. If you have washed your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and you are operating a breath alcohol analyzer, wait 10 minutes after your hands have dried before performing a breath test. This will insure that any alcohol vapors from the hand cleaner will have dispersed, eliminating the possibility of contaminating the test environment.
Intoximeters has developed two guides (Infection Control Cleaning and Disinfecting Intoximeters Handheld Instruments and Infection Control Cleaning and Disinfecting Intoximeters Desktop Instruments) that list some of the concerns and commonsense steps that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of disease transmission while performing a breath alcohol test or while cleaning or disinfecting an Intoximeters, Inc. alcohol breath test instrument.
Additional information and directives on disease and Coronavirus can be found through OSHA (3990-03 2020) or the CDC. And the CDC has put out documentation for the maintenance on other types of breathing related equipment such as spirometers that may have helpful information on infections control measures.
For more detailed information on this subject please click on the link below.