For tattoo artists and body piercers
OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Certification for Tattoo Artists and Body Piercers
One hour, online, $25. Certificate PDF the moment you pass. Verifiable by anyone with the number.
Who this is for
- Tattoo artists and apprentices
- Body piercers
- Permanent cosmetics and microblading artists
- Studio owners who need every artist on file
What OSHA requires
29 CFR 1910.1030 requires every employee with occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials to be trained at hire and at least once every 12 months, by a course covering a fixed list of topics and giving the chance to ask questions of a knowledgeable person. For tattoo artists and body piercers, the exposure is real and specific:
- Needlesticks during setup, tattooing, and breakdown
- Blood and plasma on machines, grips, clip cords and work surfaces
- Contaminated ink caps, needles and cartridges going into sharps and regulated waste
- Splash to the eyes and mouth while wiping and piercing
- Cross-contamination between stations when barriers and gloves aren't changed
What the course covers
Nine narrated lessons, about an hour total, plus a body art module on studio practice and county licensing:
- How hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV actually spread in a studio, and how long they survive on a surface
- Universal precautions: treating every client's blood as infectious
- Gloves, barriers, eye protection, and the order to put them on and take them off
- Sharps containers, single-use needles, and what counts as regulated waste
- Cleaning and disinfecting a station between clients
- Hepatitis B vaccination and why it matters for this work
- What to do in the first minutes after a needlestick, and how to report it
- Body art module: single-use needles and ink, barriers, autoclave sterilization and spore testing, station setup and breakdown, and county licensing
Then a 20-question exam, 80% to pass, unlimited retakes. Full course outline.
Questions from tattoo artists and body piercers
Will my studio or health inspector accept this?
OSHA does not accredit bloodborne pathogens courses; your employer decides what training it accepts. The course covers the training topics in 1910.1030(g)(2)(vii)(A) through (M), the certificate lists them, and anyone can verify it online. Most employers accept it; if yours needs more, send them the course outline.
Does this satisfy my state tattoo license?
It satisfies the OSHA training requirement. State licensing is separate — see the note on state requirements below. If your state lists approved providers or a minimum number of hours, this one-hour course alone may not qualify for the license, even though it meets OSHA.
How fast can I get the certificate?
The course is about an hour. The exam is 20 questions, 80% to pass, unlimited retakes. The PDF is issued the moment you pass and emailed to you.
I'm self-employed. Do I even need this?
OSHA's standard covers employees, so a sole proprietor with no staff isn't required by OSHA to train. Most studios, conventions and county health departments require it anyway, and it's the training you'd want before working around blood.