The impact of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration regulations on management decision-making strategies.

Employee exposure to bloodborne pathogens is a potentially devastating event, for the institution and the employee. Managers, who have responsibilities to both the institution and the employee, can play a key role. Managers need to be thoroughly familiar with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration standard and their institution's exposure control plan. They must provide training to ensure compliance, initiate disciplinary measures for non-compliant employees, and identify potentially dangerous situations. In the event of an exposure, they must provide support to the employee. This article will describe the Occupational Safety & Health Administration standard and exposure control plan in detail, and will discuss the ways in which managers can ensure that the regulations are met and that employees are protected.