Who is responsible for paying for postexposure management if a student has an exposure incident?
A According to OSHA, students are not considered to be employees of an institution. Therefore, the student would be responsible for paying for postexposure management unless the institution had developed a policy that requires students to demonstrate proof of health insurance before acceptance into a program, or that requires students to pay a health center fee for these types of emergencies. Residents that receive a stipend from the institution should be considered employees for the purposes of compliance with the Bloodborne Pathogens Rule. For these individuals, the worker’s compensation carrier or teaching institution should cover the costs.
