Cal/OSHA · dir.ca.gov
Program-Based Standards

Bloodborne Pathogens Medical Surveillance

Occupational exposure to blood/OPIM risks HBV, HCV, and HIV transmission; affects healthcare, laboratory, custodial, first-responder, and other workers with reasonably anticipated exposure.

Who is covered: All employees with reasonably anticipated occupational exposure to blood/OPIM. Mirrors federal with explicit HCV in post-exposure source testing.

Evaluation performed by: Licensed physician or other licensed healthcare professional (California licensure scope)

🩺 Baseline / Pre-Placement

Hepatitis B vaccination made available within 10 working days of initial assignment to all employees with occupational exposure — 8 CCR 5193(f)(2)

  • Hepatitis B vaccine and full vaccination series MADE AVAILABLE at no cost (unless previously vaccinated, immune by antibody testing, or contraindicated) — 8 CCR 5193(f)(1)
  • Performed by or under the supervision of a licensed physician or other licensed healthcare professional, per current USPHS recommendations — 8 CCR 5193(f)(1)/(f)(2)
  • No antibody prescreening may be required as a condition of receiving vaccination — 8 CCR 5193(f)(2)
  • If the employee declines, a signed Hepatitis B Vaccine Declination statement (Appendix A) — 8 CCR 5193(f)(2)
  • If USPHS later recommends routine booster doses, they must be made available — 8 CCR 5193(f)(1)/(f)(2)
Abnormal results & exposure-event protocols

Abnormal Results & Exposure-Event Protocols

  • An EXPOSURE INCIDENT (eye, mouth, mucous-membrane, non-intact skin, or parenteral contact with blood/OPIM) 8 CCR 5193(f)(3): Make immediately available a confidential post-exposure medical evaluation and follow-up: document route(s) and circumstances; identify and test the SOURCE individual's blood AS SOON AS FEASIBLE for HBV, HCV, AND HIV (California explicitly names HCV in the source-testing panel); collect and test the EXPOSED employee's blood after consent (sample preserved if HIV testing declined); provide post-exposure prophylaxis when medically indicated; provide counseling and evaluation of reported illnesses. Tests: Documentation of route(s) of exposure and circumstances, Source-individual blood testing for HBV, HCV, and HIV (as soon as feasible) — HCV explicit in California text — 8 CCR 5193(f)(3), Exposed-employee baseline blood collection and testing after consent; sample preserved if HIV testing declined, Post-exposure prophylaxis when medically indicated, Counseling and evaluation of reported illnesses, Information provided to the evaluating healthcare professional (copy of standard, duties, route/circumstances, source results, relevant records)

Reporting Requirements

Who performs the evaluationLicensed physician or other licensed healthcare professional — 8 CCR 5193(f).
Reported to employerEmployer receives the healthcare professional's WRITTEN OPINION, limited to: (HBV) whether vaccination is indicated and whether the employee has received it; (post-exposure) that the employee was informed of evaluation results and of any medical condition resulting from the exposure that requires further evaluation or treatment. ALL OTHER findings/diagnoses remain confidential and are NOT in the written report — 8 CCR 5193(f)(5).
Reported to / for the employeeEmployer provides the employee a copy of the healthcare professional's written opinion; post-exposure evaluation results communicated to the employee — 8 CCR 5193(f)(5).
Time limitsEmployer provides the written opinion to the employee within 15 days of completion of the evaluation — 8 CCR 5193(f)(5).
RecordkeepingConfidential medical records retained for the duration of employment plus 30 years; not disclosed without written consent — 8 CCR 5193(h).

Medical Removal Protection

No MRP. Vaccination + post-exposure evaluation/follow-up (see abnormal_protocols). No routine periodic schedule.

How this compares to Federal OSHA: California 8 CCR 5193 names HCV EXPLICITLY in the post-exposure source-testing panel (alongside HBV and HIV), whereas federal 1910.1030(f)(3)(ii) enumerates HBV and HIV (HCV handled via USPHS-guided follow-up) — both result in HBV/HCV/HIV management but California's text is more explicit. California additionally maintains a separate Aerosol Transmissible Diseases standard (8 CCR 5199) covering airborne pathogens, with no federal equivalent. Vaccination timing (10 working days), the 15-day written-opinion limit, and duration+30-year record retention are the same.

Occu-Med handles Bloodborne Pathogens surveillance end-to-end

Scheduling, exams, lab panels, physician review, removal/return determinations, and audit-ready recordkeeping — fully compliant with Cal/OSHA requirements.