Bloodborne Pathogen Training: Who and How

Yesterday’s Advisor reviewed the surprisingly large number of occupations and tasks that entail risks from bloodborne pathogens (BBPs). We looked at measures you can take to limit your employees’ exposure to BBPs – including some of those mandated by OSHA.

Today we turn to the training requirements of OSHA’s BBP Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030), and introduce you to a tool that can help you efficiently and economically satisfy those requirements.

Who Needs to Be Trained?

All employees with a reasonably anticipated risk of exposure to blood and certain other potentially infectious materials must be given bloodborne pathogen training. A classic example is designated first-aid providers, who can be reasonably anticipated to be exposed to blood and other bodily fluids.

---

Your employees can teach themselves about bloodborne pathogens, as demanded by OSHA’s BBP standard, with BLR’s Interactive CD Course: Bloodborne Pathogens program. Try it at no cost or risk. Get the details.

---

Our sister website, HR.BLR.com, tell us that there are three methods to determine whether bloodborne pathogens training should be provided to employees as part of the first-aid program:

• Employees who render first aid as part of their job duties, i.e., they have been trained or designated through the employer to provide first aid to fellow employees, must receive bloodborne pathogens training when beginning the job and annually thereafter.


• If an employee is providing first aid or CPR as a Good Samaritan and has not been designated to perform first aid by the employer, that employee is not required to have bloodborne pathogens training.


• Employers that have a written bloodborne pathogens exposure control plan can determine the risk of exposure to specific employees and, therefore, the level of training through the plan’s hazard analysis.

Part-time and temporary employees are covered and are also to be trained on company time.

BBP training must be provided at the time of initial assignment to tasks where occupational exposure may take place and at least annually thereafter.

Examples of professionals qualified to give bloodborne pathogens training include infection control practitioners, nurse practitioners, and registered nurses. Non-healthcare professionals include industrial hygienists, epidemiologists, or professional trainers who can demonstrate knowledge in the subject matter covered in the training. One way, but not the only way, knowledge can be demonstrated is through having received specialized training.

The training must use materials appropriate in content and vocabulary to a worker’s educational level, literacy, and language, and the training must provide an opportunity for interactive questions and answers.

Employers must give employees additional training when job tasks or procedures are modified, or when new tasks or procedures affect the employee’s occupational exposure. The additional training may be limited to addressing the new exposures created.

---

Try the unique, self-directed, self-testing program, Interactive CD Course: Bloodborne Pathogens, at no cost or risk. Find out more.

---

So how do you go about satisfying OSHA’s training requirements? Our editors feel that BLR’s Interactive CD Course: Bloodborne Pathogens may be the ideal solution. This 80-slide, self-paced training will teach your employees how to:

• Define bloodborne pathogens.


• Describe common types of bloodborne pathogens and their signs and symptoms.


• Recognize different sources of the pathogens.


• Recognize tasks and activities that may involve exposure to bloodborne pathogens.


• Identify different means of transmission and contamination.

Your trainees learn such key concepts as universal precautions and other potentially infectious material (OPIM); what PPE is available to protect against infection and when and how to use it; and what to do should an exposure occur.

The material is informative and engaging. The computer even includes “hands-on” time, asking trainees to “dress” a typical worker in PPE to fit several situations. To ensure learning, users are asked to answer five “knowledge demonstrations” along the way, which will not let them proceed in the course unless completed successfully.

Workers who’ve used Interactive CD Course: Bloodborne Pathogens have both learned from and enjoyed using it, while the program’s completely self-directed nature freed supervisors from standing over them during the training.

The program is available for a 30-day, no-cost (not even return postage), no-risk trial in your workplace. Let us know, and we’ll be happy to arrange it for you.