Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are all County employees covered under this regulation?
A: No. The County must go through a process to determine which employees (job classifications) have a reasonable exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials. Once identified, these employees are addressed in the exposure control plan.

Q: Should all employees be trained on Bloodborne Pathogen hazards?
A: According to conversations with TDH, all employees should receive some level of training on Bloodborne Pathogens. The distribution of a simple flyer or pamphlet should suffice for most employees. Those employees identified as having an reasonable level of exposure due to their job duties should receive specific and in-depth training on the exposure control plan and be offered Hepatitis B vaccinations at no cost to the employee.

Q: Where do we send our exposure control plan, once we have it put together?
A: It is not necessary to file your plan with TDH. Just keep it on file in the County and maintain your records and review the plan annually to ensure it is up to date.

Q: We don't have any employees in our County who are involved with medical sharps. Does this mean the rules don't apply to us?
A: It is up to the County to go through the identification process and make the determination if there is an exposure to BBP due to medical sharps. While jailers and law enforcement officers do not normally administer injectible medications, they are usually considered to be at risk for contact with blood and other potentially infectious materials through various other contacts with inmates, including contact with illegal use of needles. It is our recommendation that at a minimum, these employees be covered in the exposure control plan.