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Bloodborne Pathogens Bloodborne Pathogens
Exposure Control Program
29 CFR 1910.1030
Occupational Safety & Health Bureau
Montana Department of Labor & Industry
Prepared for Montana Employers
by the
Occupational Safety & Health Bureau
Department of Labor and Industry
P.O. Box 1728
Helena, Montana 59624-1728
(406) 444-6401 Bloodborne Pathogens
OSHA Standard: 29 CFR 1910.1030
Introduction
Occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens, including the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV), poses a significant risk to workers in any industry in which an injury can
occur and expose workers to blood or contaminated material.
Law enforcement and health care are not the only occupations were there could be an exposure to
bloodborne pathogens. Accidents can happen at any job site or workplace. Employees need to be
protected in case a fellow worker has been injured and has an open wound.
Any worker who is exposed to blood or has the potential to be exposed to blood is at risk from bloodborne
pathogens (BBP). Employers need to recognize this as a potential hazard and protect their employees from
exposure.
Ordinarily, an occupational exposure could be reasonably anticipated in occupations such as health care
and law enforcement. Still, other exposures could occur as a consequence of collateral duty , that is, they would not be reasonably anticipated as a likely occurrence in the normal
course of an employee performing his or her duties.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Standard for bloodborne pathogens applies
to all industries. This document provides guidelines for protecting workers from BBP as well as an
overview of the OSHA standard but it is not a substitute for the standard required by OSHA. Please refer
to the standard (Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1910.1030) for the complete text and all
requirements of occupational exposure to BBP.
I. Definitions
Bellow is a list of a few definitions that are needed to understand this standard; please see 1910.1030 for a
complete list of definitions.
Blood means human blood, human blood components, and products made from human blood.
Bloodborne Pathogen means pathogenic microorganisms that are present in human blood and can cause
disease in humans. These pathogens include, but are not limited to, HBV and HIV.
Contaminated Sharps means any contaminated object that can penetrate the skin including, but not limited
to, needles, scalpels, broken glass, broken capillary tubes, and exposed ends of dental wires.
Occupational Exposure means reasonably anticipated skin, eye, mucus membrane, or parenteral contact
with blood or other potentially infectious materials that my result from the performance of an employee s
duties. NOTE: This definition does not cover Good Samaritan acts which result in exposure to blood or
other potentially infectious materials from assisting a fellow employee but precautions must be taken to
protect all employees that might be involved. 3
Other Potentially Infectious Materials ( OPIM) means:
(1) The following human body fluids: semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, pleural
fluid, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva in dental procedures, and any body fluid
contaminated with blood;
(2) Any unfixed human tissue or organ;
(3) HIV-containing cell or tissue cultures, organ cultures, and HIV- or HBV-containing culture medium or
other solutions; and blood, organs, or other tissue from experimental animals infected with HIV or HBV.
II. Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Program
A. Written Control Plan or Policy
.
The first step in developing a BBP exposure control program is to establish a written plan or policy. This
plan must address the following:
1. Universal Precautions Policy. The employer must develop , implement, and enforce a Universal
Precautions Policy which assumes that all human blood or blood contaminated materials are infectious for
HBV, HIV, and other BBP. This policy must outline engineering and employee work practice controls to
be observed to prevent contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM).
2. Exposure Determination. Consider which work activities at the worksite where there could be either
occupational or collateral duty exposures of employees to blood or OPIM. List all possible worker
exposures in the control policy and insure that all employees are aware of the potential exposures.
3. Schedule and Methods of Implementation.
The schedule and methods of implementation of control methods, HBV vaccinations, communication of
the hazard to employees, and record keeping.
4. The procedure for evaluation of circumstances surrounding exposure incidents. The procedures for
evaluating exposures should include:
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Documentation of routes,
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Circumstances under which the exposure incident occurred,
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Identification and documentation of the source individual, when feasible and allowed by law.
B. Engineering Controls
.
Engineering controls reduce employee exposure in the workplace by either removing the hazard or
isolating the worker from the exposure. Engineering controls must be examined and maintained, or
replaced, on a scheduled basis.
Engineering controls include mechanical respiratory assists and disposable airway equipment for first aid
situations. Pocket mouth-to-mouth resuscitation devices designed to isolate emergency response personnel
from direct contact with fluids should be provided for workers expected to do first aid. 4
Some engineering controls for health care workers using sharps (sharp objects and needles) include: self-
sheathing needles, non-glass capillary tubes, glass capillary tubes wrapped in puncture-resistant film, and
puncture resistant sharps containers.
Employers should also provide hand washing facilities for employees when feasible.
C. Work Practice Controls
.
Work practice controls alter the manner in which a task is performed. Employers must describe the work
practice controls to be observed in order to prevent contact with blood or OPIM. These might include the
precautions to employ if a person is to provide, as collateral duty , emergency first aid and CPR
activities; the necessary personal protective equipment to use for first aid and CPR; and how to handle and
dispose of blood contaminated materials. Where maintenance and custodial personnel or others are
involved, procedures for cleaning up, disposal of blood and contaminated materials, and disinfection of
floors or other surfaces should be outlined.
D. Personal Hygiene
.
Hand washing should be required after removal of gloves following any activity where they were used as
personal protective equipment against BBP. Require that hand washing with soap and running water be
performed as soon as feasible, particularly in cases of gross contamination, to adequately flush
contaminated material from the skin; or alternative hand washing methods when using soap and water are
not feasible. Antiseptic hand cleaner, in conjunction with clean towels, or antiseptic towelettes are
examples of alternative methods.
If blood or OPIM splashes into a worker s eyes they should wash them out thoroughly as soon as feasible.
If a worker s street cloths become contaminated they should be changed out as soon as feasible and
placed in a plastic bag to be laundered. Workers should then shower when possible if blood or OPIM have
penetrated through their street cloths.
Prohibit the consumption, and storage of food and beverages, application of cosmetics, or the handling of
contact lenses at locations where blood or potentially infectious materials are likely to be present.
E. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
.
In addition to instituting engineering and work practice controls, the standard requires that appropriate
PPE also be used to reduce work exposure. PPE is specialized clothing or equipment worn by employees
for protection from exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials.
Employers must make readily available at no cost to the employees appropriate PPE and in the correct
sizes to provide protection form blood or OPIM. Personal protective equipment will be considered appropriate only if it does not permit blood or other potentially infectious substances to pass through to
or reach an employee s clothes, skin, eyes, mouth, or other mucus membranes under normal conditions of
use. Some examples of PPE include:
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Gloves
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Face shields, face masks 5
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Lab coats, shoe covers
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Eye protection, goggles, and glasses
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Gowns and aprons
Employers also must ensure that PPE is used correctly, properly cleaned, repaired, replace, or disposed of
as needed. PPE must be removed before leaving the work area, this will limit the spread of the
contamination.
Hypoallergenic gl