Bloodborne pathogens - Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry

Definitions:Paragraph (b)• “Occupational exposure” means reasonably anticipated skin, eye, mucousmembrane or parenteral contact with blood that may result from theperformance of an employee’s duties.• Reasonably anticipated exposure includes the potential for exposure, aswell as actual exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials(OPIM). It includes exposure to blood or OPIM (including regulated waste),as well as incidents of needlesticks.• A determination that an employee has “occupational exposure” basedupon job assignment triggers the requirement that the employer provide,and include the affected employee in, the employer’s exposure control plan.• Employees assigned first-aid response duties by their employer would beconsidered to have “occupational exposure.”• This definition does not cover “good samaritan” acts (i.e. voluntarily aidingsomeone in one’s place of employment) that result in exposure to blood orOPIM.