Guides
Plain answers drawn from the OSHA standard, OSHA's interpretation letters, and state and county rules. Each guide lists its sources.
How long is bloodborne pathogens certification good for?
One year. OSHA's standard requires training when you are first assigned to work with exposure risk, then within one year of your previous training, and again whenever your tasks change in a way that affects exposure.
Is online bloodborne pathogens training OSHA approved?
No course is "OSHA approved", because OSHA doesn't approve bloodborne pathogens training providers. An online course can satisfy the standard when it covers the required topics and the employer adds site-specific information and real-time access to a knowledgeable person for questions.
Who needs bloodborne pathogens training?
Every employee with occupational exposure: anyone who can reasonably be expected, as part of their job duties, to contact blood or other potentially infectious materials. How often it happens doesn't matter; whether it's a reasonable part of the job does.
What to do after a needlestick or blood exposure at work
Wash the area right away, report it to your supervisor immediately, and get a medical evaluation the same day. Treatment to prevent HIV works best when started within hours, and your employer must provide the evaluation at no cost to you.
Does my employer have to pay for bloodborne pathogens training?
Yes. If your job involves occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials, OSHA requires your employer to provide the training at no cost to you and during working hours.
Bloodborne pathogens training requirements for tattoo and piercing artists in Colorado
Colorado leaves body art licensing to county and district health departments, and each sets its own training rule. Boulder County requires proof of a bloodborne pathogens course within 60 days of hire, renewed every year. Arapahoe County requires an approved course within 90 days of hire.
Do child care workers need bloodborne pathogens training?
Usually, yes. OSHA has said child care workers are covered by the bloodborne pathogens standard when they have occupational exposure to blood, including staff designated to give first aid. Many state licensing rules also require the training for anyone who cares for children.
Bloodborne pathogens certificate for clinicals: what nursing and allied health programs ask for
Most programs require a bloodborne pathogens certificate before clinicals and renew it every year. It usually needs to show your name, the completion date, the training content and who issued it. Students are generally not employees under OSHA, so your program and clinical site set the rules, including what happens after an exposure.
Do janitors and cleaning crews need bloodborne pathogens training?
It depends on the work. OSHA has said housekeeping workers in healthcare facilities may have occupational exposure, and anyone assigned to clean up blood or handle regulated waste does. Janitorial work in non-healthcare buildings generally isn't considered exposure unless tasks like these are part of the job.
Do dental assistants and hygienists need bloodborne pathogens training?
Yes. Dental assistants, hygienists and dentists who are employees have occupational exposure to blood and saliva, so OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard requires training at hire and every year after, paid for by the practice. Some state dental boards also require their own infection control course, which is a separate requirement.
Which states accept an online bloodborne pathogens certificate?
In every state, an online course that covers the OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030 training elements satisfies the federal rule for healthcare, dental, cleaning, child care, school, cosmetology and other workers; the employer accepts it, no state approves it. Body-art licensing is different: some states and counties keep approved-provider lists or require longer courses, and an ordinary one-hour certificate (ours included) does not meet those.
How much does bloodborne pathogens certification cost?
Between about $9 and $35 for an individual online certificate in 2026. National Course Portal is $8.95; Bloodborne Pathogens Training Online is $11.95; Bloodborne Cert is {{price}}; OSHA.com is $20; 360training is $19.95; Pacific Medical Training is $19; ProTrainings is $29.95; the American Red Cross is $35. Employers buying seats pay less per person, and under OSHA the employer, not the worker, is supposed to pay.
Bloodborne pathogens and HIPAA training together
Most clinical and front-office healthcare workers need both: OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) requires training at hire and every 12 months, and the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules require workforce training on the employer's privacy and security policies. Bloodborne Cert sells both online for $25.60 together (November 2026), with a separate certificate for each course.
How long does bloodborne pathogens training take?
About an hour for an OSHA workplace course; our learners usually finish in 45 to 70 minutes and the certificate is issued the moment the test is passed. OSHA's standard lists what training must cover, not how long it must last. Body-art licensing in California (2 hours), Florida (3 hours), Minnesota (5 hours) and Kansas (8 hours initial) is the exception.
Bloodborne pathogens training in Amharic
Yes, OSHA bloodborne pathogens training is available fully in Amharic. Bloodborne Cert's course has Amharic narration, slides and a 20-question Amharic test; the certificate is issued in English so employers can read it, and it states that training was in Amharic.