Is online bloodborne pathogens training OSHA approved?

OSHA sets requirements, not approvals

The Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, lists what training must cover in paragraph (g)(2)(vii), items (A) through (N), and requires the person conducting training to be knowledgeable in the subject as it relates to the workplace. It does not create an approval or accreditation process for courses. A course advertised as "OSHA approved" or "OSHA certified" is describing its content, not a status OSHA granted.

The part online courses can't do alone

Item (N) requires an opportunity for interactive questions and answers with the person conducting the training. OSHA's enforcement directive for the standard (CPL 02-02-069) says trainees must have direct access to a qualified trainer during training, and that a generic computer program, even an interactive one, is not appropriate unless the employer supplements it with site-specific information and makes a person available.

OSHA's interpretation letters fill in the details. A 1997 letter says a telephone hotline can meet the requirement for computer-based training. A 2003 letter says email counts only if questions are answered at the time they come up, not hours later. A 2008 letter confirms the trainer doesn't have to be physically in the room.

What that means in practice

For an employer: an online course can carry the general content, elements (A) through (M). You add your site specifics (where your exposure control plan is kept, your equipment, your post-exposure procedure) and make a knowledgeable person reachable while employees take the course. A nurse, supervisor or safety lead reachable by phone is enough for most small employers.

For an individual buying their own certificate: your employer or licensing board decides whether to accept it. Most accept a current certificate from a course that covers the required topics, then add their own site training.

How Bloodborne Cert handles it

Our course covers elements (A) through (M), and the certificate lists them. It does not claim element (N). Questions sent through our support page are answered by a medical provider, but not in real time, so we don't present that as meeting (N). The certificate states that the employer provides site-specific instruction and real-time questions.