All workplaces are required to have procedures for dealing with bloodborne pathogens. These regulations were developed in response to the fears raised by the HIV epidemic, but they serve to protect employees from a variety of illnesses, particularly viral hepatitis.

A workplace that does not provide medical service and has no other significant exposures to body fluids can make do with a very simple program for cleaning up blood. Obviously, there is always a risk of blood exposure in a workplace. Any employee can have a nose bleed or a cut that spreads blood in the environment. There must be a written procedure for cleaning up the blood without coming into contact with it and then sanitizing the environment with a cleaning solution that kills bloodborne pathogens. Rubber gloves, paper towels, and a spray bottle of bleach solution are the only equipment needed in most workplaces.