How Often Is Bloodborne Pathogens Training Required?

OSHA requires bloodborne pathogens training when an employee is initially assigned to tasks where occupational exposure may occur and at least annually thereafter. Annual training must take place within one year of the employee's previous training. Employers must also provide additional training when new or modified tasks or procedures affect an employee's occupational exposure.

Understanding how often bloodborne pathogens training is required is only one part of compliance. In this blog, we'll explain the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, Exposure Control Plans, training content, employer responsibilities, and how bloodborne pathogens training can fit into a workplace training program.

What Does the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard Require?

The OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030 , is designed to protect employees from occupational exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials.

Employers with covered employees have several responsibilities under the standard.

Depending on applicability, these include:

• Developing and maintaining a written Exposure Control Plan
• Identifying job classifications, tasks, and procedures involving occupational exposure
• Following Universal Precautions
• Using engineering and work practice controls to eliminate or minimize exposure
• Providing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) at no cost to employees
• Following applicable housekeeping, decontamination, and regulated-waste requirements
• Making hepatitis B vaccination available to eligible employees as required
• Providing confidential post-exposure evaluation and follow-up following an exposure incident
• Communicating hazards through appropriate labels, signs, and training
• Providing required bloodborne pathogens training at no cost and during working hours
• Maintaining required medical and training records

Training is therefore one component of a broader workplace exposure-prevention program rather than the employer's only obligation under the standard.

What Is a Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan?

A Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan (ECP) is a written plan designed to eliminate or minimize employee occupational exposure to blood and OPIM. Not every office or workplace is automatically required to have one. Under OSHA's standard, each employer with one or more employees who have occupational exposure must establish a written Exposure Control Plan.

An Exposure Control Plan must address major elements such as:

• The employer's exposure determination, including covered job classifications and relevant tasks and procedures
• The schedule and methods for implementing applicable provisions of the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard
• Procedures for evaluating the circumstances surrounding exposure incidents
• Engineering and work practice controls used to eliminate or minimize exposure
• Applicable PPE and other protective measures
• Hepatitis B vaccination and post-exposure evaluation and follow-up
• Communication of hazards and employee training
• Applicable recordkeeping procedures

The plan must be accessible to employees and reviewed and updated at least annually and whenever necessary to reflect new or modified tasks and procedures affecting occupational exposure or new or revised employee positions with occupational exposure.

Annual reviews must also reflect changes in technology that eliminate or reduce exposure. Employers subject to the applicable sharps provisions must document annual consideration and implementation of appropriate commercially available and effective safer medical devices.

Employers required to maintain an ECP must also solicit input from appropriate non-managerial employees involved in direct patient care who are potentially exposed to contaminated-sharps injuries when identifying, evaluating, and selecting effective engineering and work practice controls.

What Are the Methods of Compliance With the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard?

OSHA's standard contains several interconnected methods for eliminating or minimizing occupational exposure. Rather than thinking of compliance as a single safety measure, employers should use the controls required for the hazards present in their workplaces.

Four major areas include:

1. Universal Precautions : Employers must use Universal Precautions. Under this approach, human blood and certain human body fluids are treated as though they are known to be infectious for HIV, HBV, and other bloodborne pathogens.
2. Engineering controls : These controls isolate or remove bloodborne pathogen hazards from the workplace. Depending on the work being performed, examples can include sharps disposal containers, self-sheathing needles, and safer medical devices.
3. Work practice controls : These measures reduce the likelihood of exposure by changing how employees perform tasks. Examples include proper handwashing and safe procedures for handling and disposing of contaminated sharps.
4. Personal protective equipment : When occupational exposure remains after engineering and work practice controls are implemented, employers must provide and ensure the use of appropriate PPE. Depending on the anticipated exposure, PPE can include gloves, gowns, masks, eye protection, and face shields.

These aren't the only requirements under 29 CFR 1910.1030. Employers may also have responsibilities involving housekeeping, regulated waste, hepatitis B vaccination, post-exposure follow-up, hazard communication, training, and recordkeeping.

What Information Must Bloodborne Pathogens Training Cover?

OSHA specifies minimum content that must be included in bloodborne pathogens training. Training materials must also be appropriate in content and vocabulary to employees' education, literacy level, and language.

Required training topics include:

• An accessible copy and explanation of the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard
• A general explanation of the epidemiology and symptoms of bloodborne diseases
• How bloodborne pathogens are transmitted
• An explanation of the employer's Exposure Control Plan and how employees can obtain a copy
• How to recognize tasks and activities that may involve exposure to blood or OPIM
• The use and limitations of engineering controls, work practices, and PPE
• The types, proper use, location, removal, handling, decontamination, and disposal of PPE
• How appropriate PPE is selected
• Information about the hepatitis B vaccine, including its efficacy, safety, administration, benefits, and required availability at no cost to eligible employees
• Appropriate actions and contacts for emergencies involving blood or OPIM
• Procedures for reporting and responding to an exposure incident
• Information about required post-exposure evaluation and follow-up
• Required signs, labels, and color coding
• An opportunity for interactive questions and answers with the person conducting the training

Employees whose duties involve contaminated materials should also understand the procedures applicable to their workplace. Our guide to bloodborne pathogen cleanup and disposal provides additional information about handling contaminated environments and materials.

The person conducting OSHA-required training must be knowledgeable about the required subject matter as it relates to the workplace being addressed.

Who Needs Bloodborne Pathogens Training?

OSHA requires bloodborne pathogens training for employees with occupational exposure. This means the requirement is based on reasonably anticipated contact with blood or OPIM resulting from an employee's duties rather than job title alone.

Depending on their assigned duties, workers who may require training can include:

• Doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, and other clinical personnel
• Phlebotomists
• Dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants
• Laboratory and pathology personnel
• EMTs, paramedics, and other emergency responders
• Home healthcare and hospice workers
• Certain housekeeping, laundry, and environmental services employees
• Employees responsible for handling contaminated medical waste
• Certain correctional facility employees
• Other workers whose assigned duties create reasonably anticipated occupational exposure

Healthcare environments present numerous potential exposure scenarios, including needlesticks, sharps injuries, and splashes involving blood or OPIM. Learn more about bloodborne pathogen exposure to healthcare workers and bloodborne pathogens in dental offices .

Training needs also extend beyond traditional healthcare environments. Employers and workers can explore BBP training for general industry , while healthcare organizations can review BBP training for healthcare workers .

Whether a particular employee is covered ultimately depends on their assigned duties and occupational exposure, not simply whether their profession appears on a list.

Why Bloodborne Pathogens Training Requirements Matter

Occupational exposure to blood can have serious consequences. Even with modern prevention measures, workers can still experience needlesticks, cuts, splashes, and other exposure incidents. The New York State Nurses Association, for example, highlights the continuing risk of exposure faced by healthcare workers.

For employees, effective training can help them:

• Recognize tasks that may expose them to blood or OPIM
• Understand the engineering controls, work practices, and PPE used to reduce exposure
• Know how to respond to needlesticks, splashes, and other exposure incidents
• Understand their workplace's Exposure Control Plan
• Learn about hepatitis B vaccination and post-exposure evaluation and follow-up

For employers, meeting training requirements can help them:

• Fulfill an important component of OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard compliance
• Make employees aware of workplace-specific exposure hazards and procedures
• Reinforce the proper use of engineering controls, work practices, and PPE
• Ensure workers understand how to report and respond to exposure incidents
• Support a broader program designed to eliminate or minimize occupational exposure

Training alone does not satisfy every requirement of the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. It works alongside the employer's Exposure Control Plan, engineering and work practice controls, PPE, vaccination provisions, and other required safeguards.

Can Bloodborne Pathogens Training Be Completed Online?

Online training can be part of an OSHA-compliant bloodborne pathogens training program, but employers should not assume that completing a generic self-paced online course automatically satisfies every requirement of 29 CFR 1910.1030.

OSHA requires employees to have an opportunity for interactive questions and answers with the person conducting the training session. OSHA has explained that online or computer-based training can be used, but employees must have direct access to a qualified trainer during training so questions can be answered when they arise.

Generic training must also be supplemented with required site-specific information. Employees need to understand their employer's Exposure Control Plan and workplace procedures, including how exposure incidents are reported and addressed.

An online course can provide a convenient and consistent way to deliver much of the required educational content, but employers remain responsible for ensuring that their overall training program meets all applicable OSHA requirements.

360training's BBP training for Multiple Industries can provide workers with online instruction on bloodborne pathogen hazards and safety practices. Employers should evaluate the course alongside their workplace-specific training and other responsibilities under 29 CFR 1910.1030.

Find Bloodborne Pathogens Training for Your Workplace With 360training

Bloodborne pathogen risks aren't limited to one occupation or workplace. Healthcare facilities, laboratories, emergency services, and other workplaces may have employees whose duties create reasonably anticipated exposure to blood or OPIM.

360training offers online bloodborne pathogens courses for different occupational settings, including general industry and healthcare. Employers should select training appropriate to their employees' duties and incorporate any workplace-specific information and interactive components necessary to meet applicable OSHA requirements.

Requirements also vary outside the United States. Canadian employers and workers can explore our bloodborne pathogens worker safety course for Canada while following the occupational health and safety requirements applicable to their province, territory, and workplace.

También hay opciones en español disponibles para los trabajadores que prefieren completar el contenido del curso en español. Explore Patógenos Transmitidos por la Sangre para Múltiples Industrias o Patógenos Transmitidos por la Sangre para la Industria General para encontrar una opción adecuada para su lugar de trabajo.

Whether employees are completing their initial training or their required annual refresher, the goal is the same: make sure workers understand their occupational exposure risks and know how to follow the controls and procedures established to help protect them.