Employer Responsibilities for the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard

Because of the potential exposure to bloodborne pathogens, tattoo artists and body piercers should adhere to OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, which requires employers to perform the following tasks:

• Establish an exposure control plan (ECP) to eliminate or minimize occupational exposures. The plan must be updated annually.
• Implement the use of universal precautions.
• Identify and use engineering and work practice controls as the primary means of eliminating or minimizing employee exposure. Engineering controls reduce employee exposure in the workplace by either removing or isolating the hazard, or isolating the worker from exposure. Work practice controls alter the way a task is performed to make the task safer.

Preventative training helps an employee understand how to stop an incident from occurring, such as knowing how to properly use specific equipment and the safety controls installed within that equipment. The owner of a tattoo or piercing studio is responsible for ensuring that employees are properly trained to operate and maintain body art and piercing equipment by using the following standards:

• Provide PPE, such as gloves, gowns, eye protection, and masks. Employers must clean, repair, and replace this equipment as needed. They must also ensure that provision, maintenance, repair, and replacement of this equipment is at no cost to the employee.
• Provide information and training to workers, including methods used to control occupational exposure.
• Make a post-exposure evaluation and follow-up available to any worker who experiences an exposure incident.
• Maintain worker medical and training records.
• Maintain a sharps injury log. "Sharps" refers to needles and other sharp objects in general.
• Use labels and signs to communicate hazards to employees.

To learn more about Body Art Bloodborne Pathogens visit our Bloodborne Pathogens Tattoo Artist & Body Piercers Online Training web page.