Bloodborne pathogens in the workplace is a safety concern and employers should follow OSHA safety precautions.

Standard precautions include maintaining personal hygiene and using personal protective equipment (PPE), engineering controls, work practice controls, and proper equipment cleaning and spill cleanup procedures.

The three most common bloodborne pathogens (BBPs) are human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Proper bloodborne pathogen cleanup involves specialized disposal procedures. Placing soiled items in doubled disposable red bags with “Biohazard” clearly marked, and giving them to a licensed infectious waste removal company, are two ways to protect the area and people from bloodborne pathogens.