Environmental Health & Safety

Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan —
for General Industry

SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY

BLOODBORNE PATHOGEN EXPOSURE CONTROL PLAN
FOR GENERAL INDUSTRY

A. INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

The California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (CalOSHA) Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) Standard effective 6 March 1992, applies to all employees who could “reasonably anticipate,” as the result of performing their job tasks, contact with blood and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM). OSHA’S bloodborne pathogens standard (§8 CFR 5193) protects employees who work in occupations where they are at risk of exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials. San Diego State University’s Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan can be found at the Environmental Health & Safety Web site <http://bfa.sdsu.edu/ehs/>.

“Blood” means human blood, human blood components and products made from human blood. “Other Potentially Infectious Materials” means the following human body fluids: semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva in dental procedures, and any body fluid visibly contaminated with blood and all undifferentiated body fluids in emergency response situations. OPIM also include:

• Any unfixed tissue or organ other than intact skin from a human (living or dead).
  
  
• Cell, tissue or organ cultures from human or experimental animals infected with HIV, HBV or HCV.
  
  
• Blood, organs or other tissues from experimental animals infected with HIV, HBV or HCV.
  
  
• Culture medium or other solutions containing HIV, HBV or HCV.

The purpose of the Standard is to limit occupational exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials since any exposure could result in transmission of bloodborne pathogens that could lead to disease or death. These pathogens include hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), syphilis, malaria and many others. The primary feature of the BBP standard is a written Exposure Control Plan; at SDSU it is called the Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan. Individual departments/shops shall develop and implement a Department Specific Exposure Control Plan. The Department ECP Template can be found at <http://bfa.sdsu.edu/ehs/>.