Boards of Health are responsible for post-exposure follow-up with Emergency Service Workers (ESW) and Justice Service Workers, as per the Ontario Public Health Standards.
The Designated Officers Program helps to support Emergency Service Workers (firefighters, police, and paramedics), as well as Justice Service Workers that may have been exposed to communicable diseases in the line of duty.
The program also ensures that all agencies of emergency services have an identified Designated Officer who is available 24/7 to respond and investigate all reported exposures to communicable diseases.
Contact the Communicable Disease Control (CDC) program - Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Telephone: 705-474-1400 or toll free at 1-800-563-2808, ext. 5229
After hours, weekends, and holidays: 705-474-1400 or toll free at 1-800-563-2808 and press '0' for the Answering Service.
The MBTA allows eligible persons who have come into contact with the blood or body fluids of another person, to apply to the Medical Officer of Health to have a blood sample of the person whose bodily fluids they have come into contact with, tested for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
The MBTA falls under Ontario Regulation 449/07 and sets out the process that an applicant must follow when applying to the Medical Officer of Health and sets out the procedure to be followed by the Medical Officer of Health, respondents, physician who completes the physician report, laboratory personnel, and the Consent and Capacity Board (CCB).
Mandatory Blood Testing Act (MBTA)
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Who is eligible for MBTA?
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Only the following individuals are eligible to make an application under the MBTA:
- Victims of crime
- Persons who provided emergency healthcare services or emergency first aid
Members of any of the identified groups (under Section 2 of the MBTA, 2006):
- Employees in a correctional institution (as defined in the Ministry of Correctional Services Act, 1990), place of open custody, or place of secure custody (as those terms are defined in the Child and Family Services Act, 1990)
- Police officers (as defined in the Police Services Act, 1990), civilian employees of a police service, First Nations constables, and auxiliary members of a police service
- Special constables (officers who are not employees of a police service) appointed under Section 53 of the Police Services Act, 1990
- Firefighters (including volunteer firefighters) as defined in Subsection 1(1) of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997
- Paramedics and emergency medical attendants
- Paramedic students engaged in field training
- Members of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
- Medical students engaged in training
- Members of the College of Nurses of Ontario
- Nursing students engaged in training
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Diseases Tested Under the MBTA
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Assessing Your Risk
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An exposure requires both an injury (e.g., needle or other sharp object passing through the skin, a splash of blood or other body fluid onto a mucous membrane or non-intact skin, or a human bite that breaks the skin) and contact with blood or body fluid capable of transmitting HBV, HCV, and/or HIV.
Anyone who believes that they have been exposed to a communicable disease as a result of coming into contact with blood or bodily fluid of another person should initiate first aid and immediately seek medical attention to assess the risk of infection, have bloodwork ordered, decide whether to initiate prophylaxis, and/or other preventative measures (immunization or immune globulin).
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Initiating the Act
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The applicant must submit a Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services Form 2 - Applicant Report and a Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services Form 1 - Physician Report to the Medical Officer of Health. If you are initiating the Act, please call the Communicable Disease Control (CDC) program, who will provide further information.
An application must be received by the Medical Officer of Health, in the Health Unit where the respondent lives, no more than 30 calendar days after the occurrence. If the deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or other holiday, the deadline is extended by one business day. The date of occurrence set out in the Physician Report is deemed to be the date of the incident, despite any other information in the application.
Please note that an application that is faxed or sent by electronic transmission to the office of the Medical Officer of Health is deemed to be received by that office on the day it is sent, if it is sent before 4:00 pm on a business day. It if is sent after 4:00 pm on a business day, or on a weekend or holiday, it is deemed to be received on the next business day.
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More information
If you have further questions about the MBTA and blood borne exposures, please call 705-474-1400 or toll free at 1-800-563-2808, ext. 5229 to speak to a Public Health Nurse.
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Presentations
Presentations are available upon request. Please call the Communicable Disease Control (CDC) program at 705-474-1400 or toll free at 1-800-563-2808, ext. 5229 or email cdc@healthunit.ca.
Update of Contact Information
Do you have a new Designated Officer assigned to your workplace or does the current Designated Officer have updated contact information? If yes, please complete an on-line form to update or add contact information for the Designated Officer.
Last updated: August 2024
