The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s
Blood borne Pathogens Standard is intended to
ensure that workers receive the equipment and training
needed to follow Universal Precaution . It requires
employers to provide PPE to prevent blood
exposure and to enforce employees’ use of the equipment
in appropriate situations. However, because the
patient’s home is not under the control of the employer,
home health care agencies are exempt from
the requirement to enforce employees’ use of PPE.6
Furthermore, although the agencies are still required
to provide the equipment, the Blood born Pathogens
Standard mirrors Universal Precautions in that it
does not state which specific types of PPE and training
must be provided for particular situations or
procedure .