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Bloodborne Pathogens
U.S Department of Labor/
Occupational Health and Safety Administration
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued regulations whose purpose is to reduce or eliminate the possibility of an employee contracting any of a series of diseases that are spread through blood contact. The Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens Standards became fully effective on October 1, 1992.
The two viruses of most concern are the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and the Hepatitis B virus (HBV). Prevention of HBV exposure is the main purpose of these regulations in the school setting. HIV and HBV are potentially life-threatening bloodborne pathogens. These viruses are transmitted through exposure to blood and other infectious body fluids and tissues.
The Bloodborne Pathogens Standards require covered employees to do the following: (1) Write an exposure control plan to determine how exposure to body fluids will be handled. Every job-related task in the school must be evaluated in light of the likelihood of exposure to blood products and body fluids; (2) Offer free HBV vaccination to all employees who are required to come into contact with body fluids as a direct result of their responsibilities (such as school nurses and physical education instructors); (3) Train all employees in the use of universal precautions (such as hand washing and use of gloves); and (4) Develop and maintain records and procedures to document compliance with these regulations and to handle any exposure incidents that occur. Records of employees who have received vaccinations and written refusals of employees to receive vaccinations must be part of the documentation. Also, records must be kept related to training.
The regulations are very specific regarding elements of the exposure control plan, precautions for employees, training, documentation, and handling an exposure. They are contained in Part 1910 of title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations. They first appeared in the Federal Register of December 6, 1991.
Further Information
- For further information, contact your state OSHA office, or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20210; telephone 202/219-8151. You may also review the standard and background material on OSHA's web site at http://www.osha.gov.
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