Which employees are required to take Blood Borne Pathogen (BBP) training?
This is a great question that we get all the time.
BBP is covered in Cal-OSHA’s Title 8,Ssection 5193. The issue of covered employees is quite broad as you will see by the definition of Occupational Exposure. Generally speaking, this applies to Custodians, Nurses, Biology (or science) instructors (since they may do the blood typing experiment), emergency responders, security personnel, child care workers, playground aides and the like. The issue really boils down to what an employer requires of its employees.
If the employer requires teachers to assist students with bloody noses and requires these teachers to clean their own classrooms during the day AND they may be exposed to blood, then they would need to go attend BBP training.
(a) Scope and Application. This section applies to all occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials as defined by subsection (b) of this section.
(b) Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following shall apply:
“Occupational Exposure” means reasonably anticipated skin, eye, mucous membrane, or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials that may result from the performance of an employee’s duties.