Did you know that there are about 3 million health care workers exposed to bloodborne pathogens and viruses every year? Meanwhile, it's believed that hundreds of thousands are at risk of contracting infectious bloodborne diseases such as Hepatitis C or B because non-hospital healthcare workers fail to follow the proper precautions.
The risk of contracting bloodborne pathogens isn't limited to the healthcare setting. Thus, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforces the completion of Bloodborne Pathogens Training in numerous working industries.
Bloodborne Pathogens: What Are They?
Bloodborne pathogens are microorganisms that can be present in and transmitted through the blood, as well as various bodily fluids, which are referred to as other potentially infectious materials (OPIM).
Some examples of OPIM are:
● Amniotic fluid
● Semen
● Fluid around joints and organs like the heart, spine, knees, lungs, and brain
● Vaginal secretions
The most common and dangerous bloodborne pathogens are:
● Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
● Hepatitis C virus (HCV)
● Hepatitis B virus (HBV)
An individual can get easily infected with these if they're stuck with a needle or other sharp objects which has touched the bodily fluids or blood of a person with such infections. These pathogens can also spread if the infected blood or bodily fluids touch an open cut or mucus membranes of a person, which are the moist parts of the body such as the mouth, nose, and eyes.
HIV, in particular, can spread from an individual to another via fluids in your spine and joints. It can also spread via semen, amniotic fluids, breast milk, and vaginal discharge.
Other examples of BBP and the diseases they cause are syphilis, brucellosis, malaria, and AIDS.
Bloodborne Pathogens Training: Who Needs It?
In order to protect workers from contamination risk or exposure to these pathogens, particularly those in the healthcare industry, OSHA created a Bloodborne Pathogens standard.
In keeping with this, it's the responsibility of employers to ensure employees and workers who are likely to be exposed to such pathogens throughout their duties receive proper instruction and training.
Anyone who's reasonably expected to face regular exposure or contact to blood or OPIM as a result of doing their job should comply and train for handling bloodborne pathogens.
In the healthcare industry, these include:
● Doctors
● Nurses
● Medical students
● In-home healthcare providers
● Medical providers in industrial, correctional, and private facilities
● Paramedics and other first responders
● Dentists and assistants
● Long-term care facility, rehab, and nursing home staff
A bloodborne pathogens training should also be completed by workers in the healthcare-adjacent industry such as:
● Janitorial and housekeeping staff
● Medical equipment repair technicians
● Laundry services staff handling healthcare facility linen
● Hospice workers
● Tissue and blood bank workers
● Diagnostic and clinical laboratory workers
In addition, several non-healthcare workers may also be exposed to bloodborne pathogens, so they need the proper training as well. These include:
● Firemen
● Researchers
● Law enforcement officers
● Corrections facility staff
● Mortuary and funeral homes workers
● Body artists
● Teachers and other educational staffs
● Anyone required to provide first aid or handling OPIM in the course of their regular duties
OSHA doesn't differentiate between temporary, part-time, and full-time employees. If the employee may be exposed to BBP, they need to receive training regardless of the status of their employment.
BBP Requirements
Bloodborne pathogens training should be provided during working hours and at no cost. It should be in the worker's language and at the appropriate worker's literacy and educational level.
In general, there are 3 kinds of BBP training:
1. Initial Training
This is an intensive kind of training. This should be completed before the employee starts working in any role where they may be a risk of blood or OPIM exposure. Failure to undergo the initial training could affect one's employment.
2. Additional Training
This type is provided when the exposure risk or assigned task is changed or when there are new safety equipment or procedures enforced. This is important to be done so employees would be on the same page regarding the changes.
3. Annual Training
This is a refresher training after a year, reviewing everything learned from the previous training or learning new procedures or standard changes. This is also an avenue to evaluate the previous training and see what improvements can be done.
OSHA's BBP standard specifically outlined the details for the initial training. These include:
● Having a copy of the 1910.1030 standards and explaining its contents.
● General knowledge of bloodborne pathogens, diseases, and their symptoms. It should also include information on the modes of transmission.
● Method descriptions for recognizing job tasks involving potential exposure to BBP and OPIM.
● Teaching methods of preventing or reducing exposures such as work practices, use of personal protective equipment (PPEs), and engineering controls. The program should also include the limitation of these methods.
● Explaining the PPE types, proper use, handling, removal, and disposal. Training should also include a guide on how to properly select PPEs.
● Information on Hepatitis B vaccine including safety, benefits, effectiveness, method of administration, as well as free-of-charge vaccination.
● Training on the appropriate actions which an individual should take in case of an emergency that involves blood or OPIM as well as determining who to contact if exposure has happened.
● Providing follow-up procedures in case of actual BBP exposure, including the process of reporting the incident and the medical follow-up procedures available. It should also include the details of a post-exposure evaluation.
● Training for the exposure control plan of the specific facility.
● Assessing and explaining any labels and signs or color coding used by employers to comply with OSHA's BBP standard.
● Interactive Q&A with the professional conducting the training session.
How Often is BBP Training Required?
Individuals or employers should offer BBP training to employees before their assignment and whenever modified or new procedures could impact the risk of occupational exposure. In addition, those who completed their training should be re-trained every year to renew their certifications.
How Long Are Training Records Kept?
Records for BBP training should be retained for 3 years from the employee's training date. Whether these records are kept electronically or on paper, employers should have easy access to these in case an OSHA compliance officer unexpectedly visits.
To comply with the training requirements, the record should include the following info:
● Training session dates
● Training session summary
● Name and job title of the trainee
● Name and qualifications of the instructors who conducted the training
Is There A Minimum Time Requirement?
OSHA didn't define a minimum time or required number of hours needed for a BBP training since it's entirely performance-based. This means the hours needed for any training should be the time necessary to achieve the objectives of the training. This varies depending on the educational background and experience of the workers, as well as the details of the exposure control plan of the organization.
For instance, an Emergency Medical Service will have a varied number of hours for initial training between physicians, paramedics, and other staff based on their experience and knowledge.
Also, annual training will vary every year since there could be changes in medical sciences, infectious organisms, and safety equipment. Annual training can be done for some years and can be really long in others. So, there's no possible way for OSHA or trainers to define the specific hour requirements to meet the performance-based standard.
Qualifications For A BBP Trainer
OSHA also has a guide for a BBP trainer. It should include any individual who's knowledgeable in the topics covered by the elements of the training program.
In addition, the trainer should also be familiar with how elements of the training are related to the specific workplace. There are no requirements that a BBP trainer should be a certified or licensed health care provider. Also, unless OSHA thinks the training program is inadequate, they wouldn't investigate the trainer's qualifications.
When required, OSHA would consider a trainer's completion of degree programs, specialized courses, work experience, and other specialized training. Mentoring a BBP trainer is also performance-based and whether the trainer and the training materials can accomplish the goal of educating workers about the required topics and details.
BBP Training Formats And Tools
In this modern age, distributive and online learning programs are being used to deliver training and education to workers. Although programs delivered by computer or video assure consistency, these methods have challenges in meeting OSHA requirements for interactive Q&A with the person conducting training sessions.
While OSHA made it clear that a trainer doesn't need to be physically present in the room during the training, workers should still have direct contact or access to the trainer for asking questions during training. For this, direct video conferencing or a telephone hotline is acceptable, but not voice mail messages or emails.
In addition, employers should also integrate opportunities for hands-on practice with the training session so employees can practice the use of safety equipment such as PPEs.
Conclusion
Being educated and trained in bloodborne pathogens is a big leap toward preventing contamination and exposure to blood and other bodily fluids. Thus, finding the right bloodborne pathogen training should be a priority to protect and ensure the health and well-being of healthcare professionals and other high-risk workers.
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of sciencetimes.com
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