Your Responsibility:

To train your employees about their risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens and ways to protect themselves

You must

WAC 296-823-12005

• Make sure all employees with occupational exposure participate in a training program that is:

  • – Provided at no cost to them
  • – Conducted during compensated working hours.
• Provide training when any of the following occur:
  • – Before assigning tasks where occupational exposure might occur
  • – At least annually and within one year of the previous training.
• Make sure the content and vocabulary of your training materials are appropriate to the educational level, literacy, and language of your employees
• Make sure the person conducting the required training is knowledgeable about the subject matter as it relates to your workplace
• Make sure the training program contains at least the following elements:
  • – An accessible copy of this chapter and an explanation of the contents
  • – A general explanation of the epidemiology and symptoms of bloodborne diseases
  • – An explanation of how bloodborne pathogens are transmitted
  • – An explanation of your exposure control plan and how the employee can obtain a copy of the written plan
  • – An explanation of how to recognize tasks and other activities that could involve exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM)
  • – An explanation of the use and limitations of methods that will prevent or reduce exposure including:
  • Equipment and safer medical devices
  • Work practices
  • Personal protective equipment
  • – Information about personal protective equipment (PPE) including:
  • The types
  • Proper use and limitations
  • Selection
  • Location
  • Putting it on and taking it off
  • Handling
  • Decontamination
  • Disposal
  • – Information about the hepatitis B vaccine, including:
  • Information about its effectiveness
  • Safety
  • Method of administration
  • The benefits of being vaccinated
  • Offered at no cost to the employee for the vaccine and vaccination
  • – Information about what actions to take and persons to contact when exposure to blood or OPIM occurs outside of the normal scope of work
  • – An explanation of the procedure to follow if an exposure incident occurs, including:
  • The method of reporting the incident
  • The medical evaluation and follow-up that will be available
  • – Information about the post-exposure evaluation and follow-up procedure following an exposure incident
  • – An explanation of the signs and labeling or color-coding required by this chapter
  • – An opportunity for interactive questions and answers with the trainer at the time of the training session.

  Note: This may be person-to-person, by telephone, or by e-mail, as long as the employee can both ask and receive answers during the training session.

WAC 296-823-12010

• Provide additional training when you add or change tasks or procedures that affect the employee's occupational exposure.

WAC 296-823-12015

• Maintain training records for 3 years from the date of the training
• Include the following information in your training records:
  • – Dates of the training sessions
  • – Contents or a summary of the training sessions
  • – Names and qualifications of persons conducting the training
  • – Names and job titles of all persons attending the training sessions.
• Provide these employee-training records upon request for examination and copying to any of the following:
  • – Employees
  • – Employee representatives.