Bloodborne pathogens pose a serious threat to workplace safety, and every employee should be aware of the risks and how to prevent their spread. In this article, we'll provide tips on how to protect yourself and your employees from bloodborne pathogens, including the proper use of personal protective equipment, cleaning and disinfecting procedures, and training methods for better awareness. We'll discuss the most common bloodborne pathogens and the risks they pose, as well as the regulations that employers must follow to protect their workers. Read on to learn more about how you can prevent the spread of bloodborne pathogens in your workplace.
What are Bloodborne Pathogens?
Bloodborne pathogens are microorganisms such as viruses or bacteria that are present in human blood and body fluids that can cause disease in humans. Some of the most serious examples of bloodborne pathogens include human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Other examples include but are not limited to, herpes, malaria, and syphilis.
These pathogens can create dangerous risks in the workplace if a worker comes into contact with infected blood, either through direct contact or through contact with surfaces or objects that have been contaminated. Employee exposure to bloodborne pathogens can lead to serious and life-threatening diseases or even death. To protect workers from these risks, employers should provide adequate education about exposure and personal protective equipment to their employees.
Protecting Workers from Occupational Exposure
To protect workers who could reasonably come into contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a Bloodborne Pathogens Standard that employers must follow. Under this Standard, in the event of an exposure, the employer is required to pay for any medical treatment needed for the employee and must offer the Hepatitis B vaccine free of charge to workers who could be occupationally exposed.
The most common ways that people become exposed to bloodborne pathogens are through needlesticks and sharps-related injuries. Sharps are objects that can cut the skin, such as razor blades, scissors, broken glass, scalpels, and even staples. Obviously healthcare environments are at the highest risk for occupational exposure, but employee exposure also occurs in a variety of surroundings, from manufacturing plants to offices. An exposure incident is when infected blood comes into contact with another person's eyes, mouth, mucous membranes, or non-intact skin. Some examples of non-intact skin can include cuts, abrasions, hangnails, acne, and chafing.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
According to OSHA, personal protective equipment (or PPE) is any “specialized clothing or equipment worn by an employee for protection against infectious materials.” Some examples of PPE include gloves, masks, goggles, gowns, face shields, and CPR shields. When choosing PPE, the first thing to consider is the anticipated exposure. This can occur via touch, splashes, body fluids, or blood that may penetrate clothing.
PPE should also be durable and suitable for your needs, which can vary depending on your job tasks. For example, if you're involved in a lot of fluid contacts, you need to know your equipment's fluid resistance. Perhaps most importantly, ensure that your PPE fits. It can be dangerous and ineffective to work on PPE that is too big or too small.
Once you’ve selected and used the correct PPE for your needs, it’s also important to dispose of it or launder it properly. When you remove your PPE, it is vital to differentiate between clean and contaminated areas to be able to safely take the clothing off. For example, with gloves, you should grab it from the inside and pull it over itself without touching the contaminated side with your bare hand. PPE must be disposed of in an appropriately designated area or container and employers must provide hand-washing facilities.
Cleaning and Removing Hazards
OSHA engineering controls can isolate or remove bloodborne pathogen hazards from the workplace environment to help ensure worker safety. Examples include sharps disposal containers, splash guards, and safety cabinets. OSHA's Standard states that engineering controls must regularly be examined and maintained by the employer to ensure their effectiveness. Work practice controls remove or eliminate exposure to risk by defining how a task will be performed, such as clearly defined cleaning and hand-washing procedures.
Disinfecting procedures for bloodborne pathogens can involve the use of either chemicals or physical methods. Chemical methods include the use of bleach or other disinfectants, while physical methods involve heat or ultraviolet light. All surfaces and materials that have come in contact with the infected material should be thoroughly disinfected, including any medical instruments, equipment, and clothing. Additionally, contaminated materials should be disposed of in appropriately labeled biohazard bags.
Training and Awareness
OSHA also requires employers to have a written Exposure Control Plan, or ECP, in place to help reduce the risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens. A company’s ECP must be easily accessible to employees, reviewed and updated annually, and updates must be conveyed to employees as they occur. Educating employees on bloodborne pathogens is also a legal requirement. According to OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard, any employees who may face exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) in the workplace must receive annual training regardless of their prior training or education.
At EasyLlama, our Bloodborne Pathogens Training will keep your company and its employees compliant with the law and safe in the workplace (with a new refresh coming in 2023 as well!). After taking our course, your workers will be able to recognize workplace risks of bloodborne pathogens exposure, identify methods for eliminating and reducing the risk of occupational exposure, detail exposure follow-up procedures, and more! Plus, our modern workplace solution isn’t that boring, old VHS training you’re used to popping in each year. With interactive quizzes and real-life video scenarios, our 100% online course is mobile-friendly and allows employees to stop and start training across devices to better fit into their busy schedules.
Ready to upgrade to EasyLlama’s Bloodborne Pathogens compliance training today? Check out our free course preview to learn more!
