Requirements of the Blood-borne Pathogens Standard

In general, OSHA's Blood-borne Pathogens Standard 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. The term "universal precautions" refers to a method of blood-borne disease control that requires the treatment of all human blood and other potentially infectious materials as contaminated with HIV, Hepatitis B (HBV), or other blood-borne pathogens regardless of the perceived low risk of a patient or patient population.
• 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 manner in which a task is performed to make the task safer.

Employer requirements under OSHA's Blood-borne Pathogens Standard also include the following:

• 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 HBV vaccinations available to all workers with occupational exposure. The vaccination must occur after the worker has received the required blood-borne pathogens training and within 10 days of initial assignment to a job with 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.
• Where applicable, maintain a sharps injury log. "Sharps" refers to needles and other sharp objects in general.
• Use labels and signs to communicate hazards to employees.

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