It is imperative that all cleaning employees and staff know about bloodborne pathogens, the risk of encountering them, how to properly protect themselves and others, as well as what to do when exposed. These employees are at high risk of being exposed to bloodborne pathogens during their everyday work hours but with the proper training they can greatly decrease the level of risk of exposure. They need to know how to safely clean an infectious substance, dispose of sharps and other infectious materials, and the proper protection that should be worn while doing these tasks. 

There are specific protocols to follow when dealing with these potentially infectious substances such as "Universal Precautions", post exposure management, and exposure control. Following Universal Precautions, you should assume all bodily fluids are infectious and use the proper PPE to handle them. When dealing with blood or bodily fluids its important to treat them with caution and to dispose of them properly to minimize the risk of exposure. Wearing the correct gloves, mask, or other PPE will greatly decrease the risk of being exposed. Exposure control plans or regulations should always be followed when you're at risk of exposure; they should include all the information you need to protect yourself and others while cleaning up bodily fluids in your workplace. In the event that you're exposed to any bloodborne pathogens, the post exposure management plans are there to guide you through the situation. Any possible exposures must be reported to your employer and physician immediately to decrease the risk of contracting a disease. 

If employees in this field do not know about bloodborne pathogens and the proper way to handle them, then the risk of them and others being exposed raises exponentially. This can cause outbreaks of diseases and halt all workplace activities indefinitely. In healthcare settings its extremely important that all employees have sufficient knowledge of bloodborne pathogens so that the patients and workers can remain safe. Its also important that they're are equipped with the proper PPE to deal with these potentially infectious substances. Without these standards and regulations, patients and employees would not be able to trust the facility with their health and many people would contract preventable diseases.