Bloodborne pathogen training is required of any employee who might come into contact with human blood during routine working conditions. The primary industry that at risk is the healthcare industry.
With the vast array of training options available, this article is a guide to finding a high quality bloodborne pathogen training course that is right for you.
Why Bloodborne Pathogen Training Is Important
The entire point of OSHA is to reduce the risk of illness or injuries that occur in the workplace. Healthcare providers are significantly at risk of contracting an illness related to bloodborne pathogens. The primary vector for infection in these cases is injury from equipment such as needle sticks.
Educating employees in the safety habits of protecting themselves is one of the main reasons why employees should be bloodborne pathogen trained. Educating employee’s is not only an employer responsibility, it is an OSHA mandate.
The use of simple personal protective equipment is enough to reduce risk and this is reason enough to teach employees about the hazards of bloodborne pathogens.
First, Ensure Compliance With OSHA
First of all, you must ensure any bloodborne pathogen course you pick complies with OSHA regulations.
Under the OSHA guidelines, employers must also make certain that employees receive regular training at least annual and each time that risk may be incurred. The employees are to be instructed in bloodborne pathogens, disease, occupational exposure and the methods used to control exposure, hepatitis B vaccination, medical evaluations and post-exposure procedures including the procedure use to follow up after an exposure has occurred.
Compliance is not just about teaching employees. It also sets guidelines that define what an employer’s responsibility is. The reasoning is that educating employees is not enough. Employers should ensure that the workplace itself is safe and not a vector of contamination. In this regards, employers must have an exposure control plan in place.
The exposure control plan must be updated annually and involves policies that cover the implementation of universal precautions, identification engineering controls and work practice controls. It should also cover the use of personal protective equipment and the supply of said equipment. Part of this plan is to develop methods that follow up exposure and provide a post exposure evaluation. OSHA is clear that clear communication should be in place that communicate hazards effectively. Ideally, bloodborne pathogen training course should cover this ground.
Course Content To Look For
Your bloodborne pathogen training course must contain elements of the following protocols:
- Educational material that defines both the cause and the symptoms of hepatitis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV.
- Educational material that defines personal protective equipment (PPE), The safe usage of PPE, and how to clean PPE.
- Educational material that define engineering controls and how to use them.
- Educational material that teach sharps handling protocols, defines sharps and the disposal of sharps. An example of a sharp is a hypodermic needle.
- Educational materials that teach safe hand washing protocols and the reasons why safe hand washing protocols are used.
- Educational materials that address prevention as a means of reducing risk of exposure.
Choosing Bloodborne Pathogen Training Online
Choosing an online bloodborne pathogen course should begin by researching course introductions. The introduction of each course should be available to the consumer without cost. This is merely a means by which the consumer can determine if this course is going to cover everything that is required.
A course introduction should also contain a course syllabus that lists the education modules, the time expected to complete each module, an outline of testing options, and the cost of the program.
All online or in-person training should be OSHA compliant. This means that the site or instruction must meet or exceed OSHA standards for the topics being taught.
Approximate Cost
The cost for online bloodborne pathogen training ranges from $20.00-$125.00 per person.
Finally
The brighter side of government regulation is that a healthier workforce produces more. In the healthcare industry, this translates to more employees caring for more patients – and probably at lower cost when fees for compensation are saved. However you look at it, this is a good thing.