Bloodborne and airborne pathogen exposure: Massachusetts DPH offers sample written control plans

Boston — Intended to give small health care employers an “easy-to-use format” for a written exposure control plan, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has published sample written plans for a respiratory protection program and bloodborne pathogen exposure control.

Designed for hospitals and other health care providers, the respiratory protection program template features OSHA regulatory requirements and footnotes on “how to tailor and/or implement various components of the respiratory protection program.”

Areas of a respiratory protection program that require “facility-specific information” are highlighted in the document. Also included: a table to help track changes to the program or review dates.

“If half-mask elastomeric respirators, full facepiece elastomeric respirators, powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs), supplied-air respirators (SARs) or self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) are not used within your facility, then the sections that speak specifically to those particular types of respirators can be omitted from the written program,” the template states. “If new types of respirators are purchased, the RPP must be amended to include the sections that speak specifically to the new particular types of respirator(s). Each employer will need to adjust or adapt the model for their specific use.”