SafetyVet

Solutions for the veterinary professions!

Looking for answers to OSHA Questions?  Check out our OSHA Center!

The Bloodborne Pathogens Standard

The following definitions are excerpted from 29 CFR 1910.1030, more commonly known as the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard.

Applicability: This section (standard) applies to all occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials as defined by paragraph (b) of this section.

Blood means human blood, human blood components, and products made from human blood.

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.

Other Potentially Infectious Material means:

(1) The following human body fluids: semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva in dental procedures, any body fluid that is visibly contaminated with blood, and all body fluids in situations where it is difficult or impossible to differentiate between body fluids;

(2) Any unfixed tissue or organ (other than intact skin) from a human (living or dead); and

(3) HIV-containing cell or tissue cultures, organ cultures, and HIV- or HBV-containing culture medium or other solutions; and blood, organs, or other tissues from experimental animals infected with HIV or HBV.

 Click here to read the standard in it's entirety on OSHA's web site.

Back to OSHA Questions Page

The information on these pages is excerpted from
The Veterinary Safety & Health Digest,
Copyright 2001 Philip J. Seibert, Jr., CVT  All Rights Reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced for distribution without prior permission from the publisher.