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Bloodborne Pathogens and Exposure Control Plan

Bloodborne Pathogens Program Summary

This program provides safety policies for the protection of Virginia Tech employees who have a potential for occupational exposure to human blood or other unfixed fluids or tissue that may contain bloodborne pathogens (BBP), such as Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), among others. For more information, refer to the OSHA BBP Standard.

Applies to

The Virginia Tech Environmental Health & Safety Bloodborne Pathogens Program (BPP) applies to employees whose duties include:

  • Working directly with human blood or other potentially infectious materials, including cell culture;
  • Providing first aid;
  • Clean spills of blood or other potentially infectious materials.

If you can reasonably anticipate contact or being at risk of contact with human blood or other potentially infectious materials (including human cell lines/cultures) as a result of performing your research laboratory duties, the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard applies to you, and requires you to take bloodborne pathogens training through Virginia Tech Environmental Health & Safety.

Requirements

Each department that has employees who are at risk for occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens must comply with the requirements of this program. Departments must develop work practices and procedures as outlined in this program, assure 'at risk' employees are provided access to training and vaccinations prior to hazard exposure, provide necessary personal protective equipment, and provide ongoing oversight to assure compliance is being maintained.

OSHA Bloodborn Pathogens Standard

  • OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard 29 CFR 1910.1030 is a federal law prescribing certain prevention and response measures that employers must provide to protect at-risk workers from potential exposures to bloodborne pathogens.
  • The standard is designed primarily for the health care industry, but also must be applied to other occupations in which workers are at risk of exposure to human blood and other potentially infectious materials.
  • A key prevention measure required by OSHA is bloodborne pathogens training for at-risk workers.

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