Bloodborne pathogens have been around for a very long time. But it has only been within the last several decades that we have made a serious attempt to limit the risk to the public and employees. Careful and proper training is the biggest way we can achieve this.

The common saying is "knowledge is power", and it is at the heart of this debate. The more employees know, the safer they should be. Without proper training and procedures, employees put themselves and their coworkers at risk on a daily basis. If you do not train your employees in bloodborne pathogens you run the risk of them hurting themselves and missing work. And that can cost you big time.

There are several costs associated with an employee being exposed to a bloodborne pathogen. Not only will you have the medical expenses of that employee, but you may have to hire another employee to replace the injured one if he will be out of work for a long time. If you did not provide proper training or written plan, you may be sued by the employee as well.