And Why All Healthcare Organizations Must Follow it

The BBP Standard, which stands for Bloodborne Pathogen Standard, is an OSHA regulation that establishes guidelines for healthcare workers and organizations to protect staff from the health hazards related to bloodborne pathogens. All healthcare organizations, including hospitals, clinics, physician offices, surgical centers and other healthcare related facilities are required to follow the BBP.

Exposure Control Plan

As part of implementing the BBP standard, healthcare organizations must have an exposure control plan in place. The ECP is a document that outlines how your facility identifies risks associated with bloodborne pathogens and how you will prevent exposure within your workplace. Having the ECP in place is an OSHA requirement–and is not optional. This plan is among the many documents and guidelines that are part of any OSHA onsite inspections, without an ECP your organization could face violations and fines.

What Does An ECP Include?

An ECP plan should include the following: 

• An assessment of the possible hazards at the organization
• A list of staff positions that have potential risk for exposure during job-related tasks
• BBP safety training
• List of personal protective equipment (PPE) used to prevent exposure
• Plan for accidental exposure including how to respond to exposure

Training Required On An Annual Basis

BBP training must occur on a regular basis to protect employees, reduce the risk of accidents and ensure you are remaining compliant with OSHA regulations. The training must include all new staff members and current employees who have not had training in the last twelve months. Topics of training should include:

• How workers can protect themselves against exposure
• The symptoms of bloodborne pathogens exposure and sickness
• An overview of the facility’s ECP
• How bloodborne pathogens can be transmitted
• What to do in case of exposure

The BBP Standard is essential to ensuring your facility remains compliant and to prevent accidental exposure. All Points Medical Waste offers online OSHA training for our customers and their staff. This training should be performed annually and with every new hire. We are a full service medical waste disposal company serving Florida organizations from Broward County all the way up to Okeechobee County. Give us a call today or fill out this form to learn more.