Serving Florida

Erik Helms

Program Director

1-877-282-2071

The hazard of exposure to infectious materials affects employees in many types of employment and is not restricted to the healthcare industry.

Any employee who has a reasonable anticipation of contact with blood or OPIM as a result of performing his or her job duties is included within the scope of the standard. Jobs that may have the potential for occupational exposure include:

• Physicians, physician's assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, and other healthcare employees in clinics and physicians offices;
  
• Employees of clinical and diagnostic laboratories;
  
• Housekeepers in healthcare and other facilities;
  
• Personnel in hospital laundries or commercial laundries that service healthcare or public safety institutions;
  
• Tissue bank personnel;
  
• Employees in blood banks;
  
• Employees in freestanding clinics;
  
• Employees in clinics in industrial, educational, and correctional facilities;
  
• Employees designated to provide emergency first aid;
  
• Dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants and dental laboratory technicians;
  
• Staff of institutions for the developmentally disabled;
  
• Hospice employees;
  
• Home healthcare workers;
  
• Staff of nursing homes and long-term care facilities;
  
• Employees handling regulated waste;
  
• Custodial workers required to clean up devices or materials contaminated with blood or OPIM;
  
• Medical equipment service and repair personnel;
  
• Emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and other emergency medical service providers;
  
• Fire fighters, law enforcement personnel, and correctional officers;
  
• Maintenance workers.

These facilities perform scientific testing and conduct studies that add to the general knowledge of HIV and HBV detection, prevention, and treatment. Research laboratories often deal with solutions containing higher concentrations of infectious viruses than those normally found in human or animal blood. Production facilities are highly specialized facilities that produce viruses at levels above that required for routine research.

As a result, the OSHA bloodmobile pathogen standard requires that employers provide additional training in handling human pathogens and infectious agents. Additionally, employees must be able to demonstrate proficiency in standard microbiological practices and techniques specific to their workplace before being allowed to work with HIV or HBV. This level of training and skill is beyond the scope of this program.