OSHA Care Ch 25-MCIT-F3-6104 | Bloodborne Pathogens

We begin OSHA Care Ch 25-MCIT-F3-6104 | Bloodborne Pathogens Training with an introduction to the subject. This course covers what bloodborne pathogens are, routes of exposure, current OSHA Standards for controlling these pathogens, and profession specific considerations for EMS personnel,  firefighters, and law enforcement officers. The lessons covered are

• Lesson 1: Bloodborne Pathogens And Exposure
• Lesson 2: OSHA Standards for Bloodborne Pathogens
• Lesson 3: FAQs On OSHA Standards For Bloodborne Pathogens
• Lesson 4: Chapter Review

Excerpt from OSHA Care Ch 25-MCIT-F3-6104 | Bloodborne Pathogens

Workers are often exposed to infected blood while cleaning up a place, so there must be a detailed process for cleanup and decontamination. Such a process must encompass the following:

• The employees who are responsible for the clean-up must always wear appropriate PPE
• The disinfectant used to clean up a place must be an approved product
• The employees must clean and disinfect the work surface and the possibly contaminated equipment
• A cleaning process must be in place, and employees must be familiar with it
• A thorough clean-up is necessary after exposure, and,
• The onus is on the employer to ensure that the contaminated PPE, towels, rags, and other materials that could be exposed to bloodborne pathogens are disposed of properly

Further, the standard requires that all equipment that may be contaminated must be examined and decontaminated as necessary before servicing or shipping. If complete decontamination is not feasible, the equipment must be labelled with the required biohazard label, specifically identifying which portions of the equipment remain contaminated. Also, the employer must ensure that this information is conveyed to the affected employees, the servicing representative, and the manufacturer, as appropriate, before handling, servicing, or shipping.