“OSHA” stands for Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In 1991 OSHA established a standard of occupational practices regarding bloodborne pathogens, which they updated in 2001. As part of the standard, OSHA bloodborne pathogens training was made mandatory for certain businesses, primarily those in the healthcare sector.

Any employer whose employees have a reasonable risk of exposure are required to provide OSHA bloodborne pathogens training for their staff. In the case of a commercial cleaning company, that would include anyone who cleans or otherwise decontaminates an area where there was likely to have been blood, such as a physician’s office, a dentist’s office, or even a construction site.

The reason for your employees to be trained in such is for their safety.

Any custodial staff that handles sharps bins, biohazard waste, or other potentially contaminated objects should know how to protect themselves against—and what to do in the case of—exposure. Some of the most important things an employee can learn are things like exposure determination, exposure control plans, the effectiveness of personal protective equipment, what to do in the event of exposure, and medical and reporting follow-up after exposure.

Another benefit is that your clients can rest easy knowing you have a team properly trained in handling contaminated material.