OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) prescribes safeguards to protect workers against the health hazards caused by bloodborne pathogens. Its requirements address items such as exposure control plans, universal precautions, engineering and work practice controls, personal protective equipment, housekeeping, laboratories, hepatitis B vaccination, post-exposure follow-up, hazard communication and training, and recordkeeping. The standard places requirements on employers whose workers can be reasonably anticipated to contact blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM), such as unfixed human tissues and certain body fluids.
Under the standard, employers are required to:
- Develop an Exposure Control Plan;
- Provide Bloodborne Pathogens training;
- Establish and maintain a sharps injury log; and
- Establish engineering and work practice controls to eliminate or minimize employee exposure
There are several resources available for employers and employees with regard to occupational exposures to blood and OPIM. First is the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens standard. The full text of the standard can be found here. Also available are CPL 2-2.69 (November 2001) Enforcement Procedures for the Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens, and many other related documents. This information can be found on OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens and Needlestick Prevention Web Page. You may access additional information, such as information from OSHA’s Consultation and State Plan State Offices, via OSHA’s website or by phone at 1-800-321-OSHA (6742). CDC and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a CDC agency, also have documents related to the prevention of occupational exposure to blood and OPIM available.