Exposure Determination

WISHA/DOSH requires employers to perform an exposure determination to identify workers who have occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials. Occupational exposure means “reasonably anticipated skin, eye, mucous membrane or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious material that may result from the performance of an employee’s duties.”

At PLU, those employed in the following departments will often have a higher risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens in their work.

  • School of Nursing
  • Student Health Center
  • Campus Safety & Emergency Programs
  • Athletics (coaches & training personnel)
  • School of Biology (some faculty, staff, and student workers)
  • Facilities Management (custodians and waste diversion personnel)

These workers may handle biohazardous waste, provide medical services, provide cleaning services, or handle biological samples as part of their job description and are covered under this Plan.  However, not all workers in these departments have occupational exposure; supervisors, with the assistance of the PLU Environmental Health & Safety Manager are responsible for determining which employees do.

Individual exposure determinations must be made for existing workers on an on-going basis and prior to assigning or reassigning workers to job classifications with potential for exposure. The exposure determination must be made without regard to the use of PPE.

Please note: Urine, feces, vomit, sweat, tears, and saliva are not regulated under the BBP rule because they are not considered to present a risk for BBP transmission unless there is visible blood in them. However, they should still be approached with caution; personnel should use latex or nitrile gloves and/or other PPE as needed.