The Occupational Safety and Health Administration Standard 29 CFR 1910.1030, Bloodborne Pathogens, applies to all occupational exposures to blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM). The Standard mandates that Mount Sinai establish a written Exposure Control Plan. The ISMMS written Exposure Control Plan, Occupational Exposure Prevention & Control Plan for Bloodborne Pathogens in Laboratory Settings, is designed to eliminate or minimize exposure of employees to blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM). Section 1910.1030(g)(2)(vii)(A) of the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard requires that Mount Sinai provide each employee an accessible copy of the regulatory text of the Standard and an explanation of its contents. OSHA’s Standard, Bloodborne Pathogens, applies to all Mount Sinai employees who have occupational exposures (including reasonably anticipated) to blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM). The Bloodborne Pathogens Standard is intended to prevent serious occupational infections resulting from employee exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials.
The CITI Program training series, OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens, is required training for all ISMMS employees with known or suspected exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens, including Basic Sciences Researchers working in HIV, HBV and HCV laboratories.
The regulatory text of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Standard, Bloodborne Pathogens, is available online:
https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.1030
Needlestick and other sharps injuries are serious occupational hazards in biomedical research and healthcare settings. Contact with contaminated needles, scalpels, broken glass, and other sharps may expose employees, students, and laboratory visitors to blood, bodily fluids, or other fluids that may contain disease-causing pathogens. The information packet, How to Prevent Needlestick and Sharps Injuries, provides guidance on safe handling of sharps, the reporting procedure for Needlestick/Blood or Body Fluid Exposures (BBFE), and the associated Employee’s Report of Injury form.