Bloodborne Pathogens in Commercial and Industrial Facilities Online Course

BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS IN COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES

• What bloodborne pathogens are and how they are spread
• Exposure control plan
• Engineering, work, and practice controls
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• How to respond to emergencies involving bloodborne pathogens
• Hepatitis B vaccine, exposure evaluation and follow up
• Signs and labels used to warn of potential hazards (e.g., biohazard symbol)

• Conduct a workplace hazard evaluation and follow guidelines to select PPE
• Protect themselves against exposure to harmful bloodborne pathogens
• Understand what to do in the event that exposure occurs

Additional Safety Knowledge

Alberta Workplace First Aid Requirements

Alberta OHS First Aid Regulation categorises workplaces by hazard type (low, medium, high) and distance from an emergency medical facility. Requirements scale from a Type 1 first aid kit for low-hazard offices to a full first aid room with a trained attendant and rescue equipment for remote high-hazard sites. Every employer must post the names of designated first aiders and maintain a first aid record book.

The Primary Survey — ABCDE

Every first aid response follows a standard primary survey to identify life-threatening conditions in priority order:

• A — Airway: is it clear? Foreign object, tongue, swelling? Perform head-tilt/chin-lift if no spinal injury suspected.
• B — Breathing: is the casualty breathing normally? Look, listen, feel for 10 seconds.
• C — Circulation: check for signs of life, severe bleeding, shock.
• D — Disability: level of consciousness (AVPU: Alert, Voice-responsive, Pain-responsive, Unresponsive), neurological signs.
• E — Environment/Exposure: protect from environment, expose injuries for assessment, prevent hypothermia.

CPR — Current Guidelines

Adult CPR: compressions at 100–120 per minute, depth of 5–6 cm (2–2.4 inches), full recoil between compressions, minimise interruptions. Compression-to-ventilation ratio is 30:2 for single rescuers. Child (1 year to puberty): use one or two hands depending on size, compress about 1/3 the depth of the chest. Infant (under 1 year): use two fingers, compress 4 cm (1.5 inches). AED should be applied as soon as available — every minute of delay reduces survival by 7–10%.

Bloodborne Pathogens In Commercial And Industrial Facilities — Certification Levels

Alberta workplace first aid levels: Emergency First Aid (basic, 8 hours, 3-year validity), Standard First Aid (comprehensive, 16 hours, 3-year validity), and Advanced First Aid or Wilderness First Aid for remote workplaces. CPR levels A (adult), C (adult/child/infant), and BLS/HCP (healthcare provider level with two-rescuer CPR). Recertification must be completed before expiry — expired tickets require full retraining.

Content reviewed by Arliss Levine, CRSP, CHSC — lead safety instructor at Safety Mom · Allstar Enviro Safety Calgary, an Energy Safety Canada Authorized Training Provider.