Bloodborne Pathogens

The purpose of the UW Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP) Program is to protect University personnel from exposure to human blood and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM).

The UW Bloodborne Pathogens Program requirements apply to all UW personnel with a reasonably anticipated exposure to human blood, tissues, cell lines and other pathogenic agents that are present in human blood, including personnel assigned to provide emergency first aid as either a primary or secondary duty. Personnel in the program follow procedures in their site-specific Exposure Control Plan, complete initial and annual training, and are offered the Hepatitis B vaccine.

The UW Bloodborne Pathogens Program is detailed in the UW Core Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan in Appendix A of the UW Biosafety Manual.

Bloodborne Pathogens Program requirements

Supervisors are required to ensure that personnel are offered the Hepatitis B vaccine prior to being assigned work that involves a potential for exposure to bloodborne pathogens.

This requirement is met by the employee completing and submitting the electronic Hepatitis B Vaccine Form within 10 days of assignment to a position with potential exposure to bloodborne pathogens and before working with materials that could contain bloodborne pathogens.
The vaccine form is also available as part of the EH&S online bloodborne pathogens training course (described below).

If personnel choose to receive the vaccine, it will be given at no cost to employees through a University employee health center. Students who are not UW employees and non-UW personnel may consult their healthcare provider.

You can find more information about the Hepatitis B vaccine from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and you can contact the UW Employee Health Center to speak with a nurse if you have any questions.

Supervisors are required to develop a site-specific Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan as a supplement to the UW Core Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan. The site-specific plan identifies which employees or job roles are covered by the plan, the required personal protective equipment (PPE) for each task, engineering controls, safe work practices, spill and decontamination procedures, and first aid/exposure response procedures.

Supervisors are required to ensure that personnel with potential for exposure to human blood or other potentially infectious materials complete initial and annual bloodborne pathogens training during compensated work hours. Personnel must complete one of the following courses. If personnel do not complete the annual training within 12 months of the previous training, supervisors must ensure that they are not assigned work tasks that involve potential for exposure to bloodborne pathogens until the employee's training is current.

Additionally, supervisors are required to provide training to personnel on their Site-Specific Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan and the UW Core Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan. This needs to be reviewed at least annually or whenever changes occur.

Bloodborne pathogens exposure response and reporting

If you experienced a needlestick or sharps injury, or were exposed to the blood or other body fluid of another person during the course of your work or training, immediately follow these steps as listed on the Exposure Response Poster.

*If you are not at a UW site, go to the employee health clinic associated with the clinical or practicum site, or to the nearest hospital emergency department.

The health care provider will need:

Information about the source of exposure (patient, sample, specimen, or other material)
Details about the injury or exposure
Your personal health insurance information (applies to students only)

Routine follow-up laboratory testing, if needed, will be performed three to six weeks and four months after the initial post-exposure visit.

University personnel and heath sciences immunization program (HSIP) students who are in the Seattle area when their follow-up visit is needed may contact the UW Employee Health Center for an appointment at 206.685.1026, option 0.

UW Medicine personnel should contact their employee health center directly.

Health science students who are not in the Seattle area should follow-up as directed by their health care provider.

Students participating in the Health Sciences Immunization Program (i.e., HSIP students with CastleBranch accounts) who are seen for a BBP exposure in any healthcare setting, including a hospital emergency department, should submit the charges to their personal insurance, and then follow the steps below:

Students who are not UW employees should answer "no" if asked whether the exposure is an on-the-job injury. If seen outside the UW employee health center system, student should provide their personal insurance information.
Retain an itemized bill of the charges, the explanation of benefits from your insurance company, and a final bill showing the amount still owed after insurance coverage. Within 60 days of the bloodborne pathogen exposure or needlestick/sharps incident, send to HSIP the itemized bills showing the amount not covered by personal insurance with a request for payment.
If final billing information or receipts are not available, notify HSIP of the incident within 60 days of the BBP exposure or needlestick/sharps incident and your intent to request reimbursement. Unannounced requests received beyond 60 days following an incident will not be processed.
HSIP students who are in the Seattle area should schedule follow-up care through the UW Employee Health Center by calling 206-685-1026, option 0. Students who are not in the Seattle area should follow-up as directed by their health care provider.

Only students who participate in HSIP (and are charged the HSIP health fee) are eligible to apply for bloodborne pathogen exposure reimbursement. Additional information can be found on the Health Sciences Immunization Program page.

If you have questions about reimbursement for expenses related to a BBP exposure or needlestick/sharps incident, please contact HSIP by email at myshots@uw.edu and note in the email subject line: “Reimbursement question” or leave a voice mail message at 206-616-9074.

Bloodborne pathogens definition

Bloodborne pathogens (BBP) are infectious microorganisms that may be present in human blood and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM), including hepatitis B and C viruses and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Bloodborne pathogens can cause disease in people who have contact with them.

Read a definition for OPIM below.

Other potentially infectious materials (OPIM)

These items are considered to be other potentially infectious materials (OPIM):

Human cells, tissue or organ cultures
Human cell culture supernatant
Any solutions containing HIV, HBV, HCV or other BBPs
Any body fluid visibly contaminated with blood or OPIM
Cerebrospinal, pericardial, synovial, pleural and peritoneal fluids
Vaginal secretions
Amniotic fluid
Semen
Blood, organs or tissues from animals infected with HIV, HCV, HBV or other BBPs
Saliva during dental procedures
Any fluid where it is difficult to identify the presence or absence of blood

Frequently asked questions

Any University personnel with reasonably anticipated potential for exposure to BBP is required to complete the training courses listed above before initial work and then annually. If you are not working directly with BBP but work nearby someone who is working with BBP, you may need to be enrolled in the BBP program. If you have been assigned to perform first aid CPR as a primary or secondary duty, you should be trained in bloodborne pathogens. Talk with your supervisor to determine your exposure potential.