• Employees who have occupational exposure must be provided with information and training about the hazards.
• Bloodborne pathogens training gives employees the information they need in order to incorporate safety measures into their job duties and make good decisions when faced with hazards.
• All employees in general and shipyard industries who have occupational exposure must be given initial and annual training on blood and OPIM hazards and procedures.

Once employees with occupational exposure are identified, the employers’ next step is to communicate the hazards to these employees. That means any employee with occupational exposure must be provided with information and training related to bloodborne pathogens.

What is the purpose of bloodborne pathogens training?

Providing bloodborne pathogens training does not just make compliance sense; it makes common sense. An employee’s health depends on receiving proper training on the job. Once employees understand bloodborne pathogen hazards, taking safety measures will be a routine part of their jobs. The key is to train them before they need to take action involving anticipated contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM). That way, they can make the right decisions to safeguard themselves and their coworkers.

Without proper training, employees could put themselves at serious risk of disease or death from exposure to bloodborne pathogens.

Who should receive bloodborne pathogen training?

All employees in general and shipyard industries who have occupational exposure must receive initial and annual training on the hazards associated with blood and OPIM, and the protective measures they should take to minimize the risk of occupational exposure. Whenever there are changes in procedures or tasks that affect occupational exposure, employees must be trained again.

While 1910.1030 does not apply to the construction industry, employees in construction aren’t free of bloodborne pathogen hazards. Therefore, employees responsible for providing first aid or medical assistance at a construction site are expected to receive basic instruction in bloodborne pathogen hazards.