From the nightly janitor to the national operations manager of any janitorial company, understanding bloodborne pathogens is important.  It can literally make the difference between life and death.  This is because the infections and diseases that can come into play can be fatal.  Having a plan to prevent exposures in the first place, as well as respond accordingly when exposures do occur is a must. 

A good start to preventing exposures in the first place is to practice Universal Precautions.  This basically means treating any material that could be infectious as if it is contaminated with infectious materials.  Keeping this in mind when encountering possibly infectious materials and wearing the proper PPE are good steps to preventing exposure.

On the other hand, when an exposure does occur, it is important to have the right systems in place to respond in the best way possible to mitigate the risks that come with exposure.  When someone has been exposed, knowing to promptly contact their supervisor, physician, and pay attention to their health will help treat an infection if one occurs.  Thus, it is not just the employees who are doing the actual cleaning who need to know about bloodborne pathogens, but the cleaning company staff as well.