OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard: A Guide For Employers
In December of 1991, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the implementation of the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard with the mission to prevent injuries and protect the health of American workers. This standard imposes safety requirements on employers of workers who are exposed to blood such as dental offices or other potentially infectious materials.
Under OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standards, employers are required to protect workers against health hazards by adopting preventive measures such as occupational exposure control plans, hepatitis B vaccinations and annual training for all employees. Organizations that fail to comply with these requirements can face OSHA fines that go up to $70,000 depending on the gravity of the violation.
Implementing a compliance audit checklist is a great way to make sure your company stays compliant with regulatory standards on health and safety.
In this article, we will explain everything you need to know regarding OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard, safety measures, and training requirements for your company.
If you need help to comply with OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard training requirements, check out EasyLlama's Bloodborne Pathogens Awareness Training. We make it easy to certify all your employees and stay clear of fines.
Let's begin with the definition of bloodborne pathogens:
needle and blood
What are Bloodborne Pathogens?
Bloodborne pathogens are microorganisms in human blood that are infectious and can cause disease in humans. The most common bloodborne pathogens are human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B (HBV), and hepatitis C (HCV). Bloodborne pathogens can be transmitted by having contact with infected human blood or other body fluids that are potentially infectious such as amniotic fluid, semen, vaginal secretions, saliva (in dental procedures) to name a few.
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