There are many courses available to increase your knowledge regarding bloodborne pathogens, however, it is important to keep your certification up to date. So, how often should you train for bloodborne pathogens?
As research is continual, so too is the information regarding bloodborne pathogens updated with frequency. Best practices to mitigate accidental infection and compliance measures put in place are often changed or updated, and your knowledge and awareness must be continually updated as well. An infection with bloodborne pathogens can be life-changing, and the frequency of accidental infection is on the radar for many at-risk occupations.
Education is never finished, you can always increase your knowledge by researching new theories or taking new courses. By ensuring your bloodborne pathogen training certification is current, and recertifying every year, you can reduce your risks of accidental infection in the workplace.
What Are Bloodborne Pathogens?
These are microorganisms that live in the human body and can be transmitted through contact with blood. These are transmitted through contact with human blood and the most common of which are HIV and Hepatitis B and C. These pathogens can be directly passed from one person to another via needle-sharing or accidental needle sticks and can have serious consequences on human life, health, and happiness.
Who Is At Risk?
There is a range of professions that are considered high risk and require appropriate education and certification. Any work in an environment where there is contact with needles, open wounds or bodily fluids contain the risk of coming into contact with bloodborne pathogens. Some occupations have a greater risk of coming into contact with these pathogens, such as doctors, nurses, dentists, medical spa workers, tattoo artists, lab workers, and first responders such as police officers and EMTs.
Workers from these industries are at an increased risk of accidental infection and training and recertification are incredibly important and beneficial. Learning how to safely work with the inherent risks of your occupation is the first step to mitigating the risk of accidentally contracting any number of infectious diseases which are transmitted through the blood.
Ensuring your certification is current and up to date provides fundamental knowledge in how to deal with and handle blood related pathogens, reduces your risk of contracting these infections, and sets workers up to continually analyze the risks associated with any given situation where contact and infection is a possibility.
How Often Is Recertification Recommended?
While different employers and occupations work under differing guidelines, it is recommended to recertify your training every year. As best practices change, and research into the transmission is conducted, the steps you can take to mitigate risks are often changing and evolving.
Ensuring you take these courses yearly to keep well-informed is paramount to the health and safety of workers and their families. Ensuring certification is up to date can prevent life-changing accidents that not only impact an individual but their families and coworkers alike.
There is no cure for HIV, hepatitis b, or Hepatitis C. While these conditions can be monitored and treated, with these infections there is a great risk to your health. Through ongoing training and keeping the knowledge sharp and current, accidental infections can be reduced. It is better to spend a couple of hours refreshing knowledge than to spend a lifetime receiving treatment for an infectious disease.
Without appropriate risk management and preparation for dealing with these pathogens, the cost to individual lives is innumerable. When working with these pathogens it is imperative to maintain a healthy level of respect for the hazards and ensure, through proper training and certification, you are meeting each day with the appropriate level of preparedness.
The prevalence of workplace accidents leading to infection from bloodborne pathogens is great. The CDC and other governing health bodies have launched campaigns to ensure that high-risk workers are taking the appropriate measure to face these risks head-on with appropriate training and PPE.
Recertification every year can make you a well-informed and well-prepared worker. The benefits of yearly recertification are myriad, and it is important to ensure every step is taken to ensure the health and safety of all at-risk workers.
In a moment of carelessness or insecurity, your life can be changed completely. If you are working in a setting where contact with needles, sharps or blood is imminent, there is no better way to prepare than to ensure you are knowledgeable and educated in regards to these risks. Recertification will allow workers to remain prepared and aware of the best practices in place to avoid accidental infection with bloodborne pathogens.