Health and Safety Issues in New Zealand ... - Business.govt.nz

The diseases mentioned on page 8 all fall into Hazard Groups 3 and 4, and for the
purposes of this document “High-Risk” autopsies are those which involve Group 3 or 4
agents.
Guidelines for carrying out post-mortem procedures on known or suspected CJD
patients exist 5 . The Australian CJD Guidelines 6 recommend “referral centres” for such
autopsies to ensure procedural expertise.
It is OSH’s view that the most “risky” autopsies are those cases where undiagnosed Tb,
HIV or HBV are present. The doctrine of “standard precautions” practised in clinical
medicine recommends that all cases be treated as infectious unless definite clinical
evidence exists to the contrary, and this doctrine has application in this industry.
10
Health and Safety Issues in New Zealand Mortuaries