Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP)

Faculty & Staff

Lab and Research

Trades

The BloodBorne Pathogens (BBP) regulations are applicable to employees in several areas of the University, specifically those who have may come into direct contact to human blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM), while performing their regular work duties.  Working with the materials listed trigger specific training and document requirements.

  • Human blood
  • Synovial fluid
  • Any unfixed human tissue or organ (other than intact skin) from a human living or dead. This includes most human cell lines.
  • Human blood components
  • Pleural fluid
  • HIV- or HBV-containing cell or tissue cultures, organ cultures, and culture medium or other solutions
  • Products made from human blood
  • Pericardial fluid
  • Blood, organs, or other tissues from experimental animals infected with HIV or HBV
  • Semen
  • Peritoneal fluid
  • Cerebrospinal fluid
  • Vaginal secretions
  • Saliva in dental procedures
  • Any body fluid visibly contaminated with blood

Universal precautions must be used to prevent contact with blood and other potentially infectious materials. Universal precautions is a method of infection control in which all human blood and other related human or human-derived materials are treated as if known to be infectious for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and other bloodborne pathogens. Wearing the appropriate PPE and handling procedures must be used to prevent contact with blood and other potentially infectious materials to minimize the risk of an occupational exposure. 

Occupational exposures are those exposures which are reasonably anticipated as a result of contact to a workers skin, eyes, mucous membranes, or cuts/needle-sticks with blood or other potentially infectious materials during the performance of duties. This excludes incidental exposures that may take place which are neither reasonably, nor routinely, expected or that the worker is not required to incur on the job.

The University administration has assigned the task of implementing the Bloodborne Pathogens regulations to department heads and center directors. Supervisors are responsible to the department head for implementing this standard.

Areas that typically have the potential for occupational exposures based on their job duties:

  • Health Care Practitioners
  • Police
  • Emergency Responders
  • Plumbers
  • Custodians
  • Athletics - Coaches, Trainers, etc. 
  • Research Laboratories
  • Field Research Leaders

For assistance with implementing the Bloodborne Pathogen Regulations in your area please contact EHS.  Each department head or center director must prepare an Exposure Control Plan if any employees or students under their authority has the potential for an occupational exposure. A template is available in the Documents and Forms section of the EHS website.