Does this type of cleaning fall under the Bloodborne Pathogens standard (BBP)?
Reply 1: Yes, the Bloodborne Pathogens standard would be applicable to the cleanup work done by your employees. 29 CFR 1910.1030(b) defines “occupational exposure” as “reasonably anticipated skin, eye, mucous membrane, or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials [OPIM] that may result from the performance of an employee’s duties.” The standard is concerned about exposure to blood regardless of how long it has been exposed to air, and, therefore, the exposure determination for your cleaning crew must be made without regard to the potential 24-hour delay between the time of the blood spill and the time of the cleanup activity. There are studies stating that many bloodborne pathogens are infectious for some time on environmental surfaces. For example, the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is likely to survive longer than two weeks, and hepatitis C virus can survive for up to two weeks. Question 2: Regarding the waste generated from the cleanup operation, the Illinois
