5.6 million healthcare and janitorial workers are at risk of being exposed to bloodborne pathogens each day. These pathogens are found in human blood and cause diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS. So it is very important to understand how to prevent exposure and the steps to take if you or another employee is exposed.   

With being in the cleaning and janitorial industry you are likely going to come across situations where you run the risk of being exposed. The most common way to become infected is when the pathogens come in contact with your mucus membrane. Blood, vomit, or any bodily fluid from another person should always be considered potentially infectious, and should be approached with the OSHA guidelines. Areas with fluids should always be clean and disinfected. Gloves and other PPE should be worn and disposed properly in labeled bags. Washing your hands immediately after taking off PPE. All equipment used must be disinfected. And if exposed to contact your supervisor and physician immediately. 

Keeping your company knowledgable on the risk of bloodborne pathogens can reduce the risk of exposure greatly. Making sure to annually go over OSHA's guidelines, training employees on how to properly handle a situation where exposure is possible, and knowing the steps to take if exposure does end up happening will help make for a clean and safe work environment for everyone.