The Potentially Infectious Material/Bloodborne Pathogens Program affects a variety of areas on campus. As a result, many employees and students may perform tasks that are covered by this policy.  These tasks involve much more than working only with human blood. An employee or student is covered by this policy if they work with or are potentially exposed to any of the following materials:bloodborne-pathogen

  • Blood which includes human blood, human blood components and products made from human blood.
  • Human body fluids including: semen, vaginal secretions, cerecerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, plural fluid, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, salvia in dental procedures and any body fluid visibly contaminated with blood.
  • Any unfixed tissue or organ (other than intact skin) from a human living or dead.
  • Cell, tissue or organ cultures from humans or experimental animals unless known and proven to be free of bloodborne pathogens.
  • Blood, organs, or other tissues from experimental animals unless known and proven to be free of bloodborne pathogens.
  • Culture medium unless known and proven to be free of bloodborne pathogens.

Procedures and specifications for working with or handling potentially infectious material are covered in the Potentially Infectious Material/Bloodborne Pathogens Program Manual. This program encompasses all persons who work in jobs or as a part of their academic instruction may reasonably be exposed to those materials. This could include students or employees in teaching or research laboratories, police officers, housekeepers, emergency response personnel, health care providers and others.

The basic steps of the program are as follows:bbp1

For guidance and further information on the Bloodborne Pathogen Policy as it relates to research or academic laboratories or functions, contact EHS.

For further information as it relates to facilities or other service areas, contact EHS.