Emergency Intervention Disclosure website is now online

VICTORIA  March 2 – A comprehensive website with information about the new Emergency Intervention Disclosure Act and Regulation was launched today. The website, located at -  http://www.labour.gov.bc.ca/eida.htm  - provides information to first responders and victims of crime who are concerned they may have been exposed to a communicable disease through contact with the blood or other bodily substance of another person.The website contains answers to frequently asked questions as well as the forms people need to take action under the legislation. There are links to information on HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, including information on how these viruses are spread and steps people can take to prevent infection.Users can also find links to designated health facilities, provincial court offices and the relevant legislation.

The Emergency Intervention Disclosure Act was passed on May 31, 2012 and comes into force today. The legislation recognizes that emergency personnel are at a higher risk of coming into contact with other peoples’ bodily substances. In the unfortunate case that an exposure occurs, if a blood sample is not given voluntarily, a court order can now be obtained to require individuals to give one. Without this, a worker could carry the mental burden of uncertainty for months before knowing for certain whether he or she has been exposed to a communicable disease.