It is critical for all staff, including medical cleaning companies to understand the importance, of not just a clean medical/ health care enviroment but a safe one for everyone. Bloodborne pathegons are infected microorganisms that are present in the human blood and can cause diseases, like HIV and HBV. Sometimes the symptoms of these diseases may not appear for many years. With all this in mind it is crucial that preventative steps are taken to minimize the risk of exposure.

Proper training ensures all employees have the knowledge and safety measures to reduce any risks to diseases. By utilizing the Universal Precautions approach, all body fluids, including blood are considered potentially infectious. With that in mind infection control precautions must be taken to minimize the risk of exposure. Using protective practices, employees are all aware that they must use (PPE) personal protective equipment, wash their hands at all times, disfecting equipment and materials used for cleaning, never compress trash, color-cordinating towels, and waste baskets with labels, avoid drinking, smoking, eating or applying lip balm in possible exposure sites, and avoiding any splashes and resusing towels. These practices ensure the safety protocol that OSHA issues as their standard for safety and health.

Beyond the practices and knowledge needed to have when hadnling possible bloodborne pathegeons, there is documentation, vaccination, and training provided to help employees reduce the risk of exposure. All employers are required to have a OSHA EXPOSURE CONTROL PLAN at all job sites, which must be updated. OSHA requires documentation from employers when exposures occur, up to 3 years from the exposure. All employees are required to have proper bloodborne pathegon training for their employees who may have occupational exposure and must be vaccinated at no cost to them after the training and within 10 days of any assigment. It is important to not just simply understand what is a bloodborne pathegon, but to have the knowledge to reduce the risk of exposure by protective practices, learned from the proper training. Combining the know-how training with, an exposure control plan and having the ability to reach out to your supervisor will set the standard that OSHA requires and adheres to. Cleaning at a medical facility goes beyond cleanliness, it is a crucial to understanding the risks of bloodborne pathegon exposure, having the training and utilizing the protective practices to take, and having the documentation and control plan to reduce the risk of bloodborne pathegons.