Guidelines and Instructions for Developing a Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan - Housekeeping - Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH)

Some people have the mistaken belief that exposed employees must wear every piece of protective equipment mentioned in the standard. This is not true! The level of protection required is determined by the nature of the tasks being performed, and the standard lets you determine what protective equipment is necessary in specific situations.

The purpose of protective equipment is to keep blood and other potentially infectious material from contacting employees' garments, undergarments, skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. But this does not mean that employees must be wrapped in a head-to-toe cocoon. In some cases, adequate protection may be provided solely by the use of gloves. In other cases, masks and eye protection will also be needed. And in still other situations, gowns, aprons, and head covering may be required.

While nothing would preclude you from requiring total body protection, it might be more appropriate to determine what equipment must be worn in specific situations. If employees perform a large number of different tasks, you could develop a chart that indicates typical tasks and the equipment that must be worn when performing those tasks. If there are only a few tasks, you could identify the task and list the required protective equipment. Remember that personal protective equipment must be provided, cleaned, repaired and replaced to employees at no cost.

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Updated March 22, 2010