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Home›Courses›Safety Training›Infectious Disease: Control and Prevention

Infectious Disease: Control and Prevention

26 minutesEN / ES / MLCCSafety Training29 CFR 1910.1030, 29 CFR 1910.132, 29 CFR 1910.134, OSHA General Duty Clause
Quick Answer

Infectious Disease: Control and Prevention is a 26-minute online course that trains employees to identify how infectious agents spread, recognize common workplace infections, and implement prevention and control measures as guided by OSHA (29 CFR 1910.1030) and CDC workplace standards. It is designed for employees across all industries, with particular relevance to healthcare, public safety, and custodial workers, and includes a downloadable certificate of completion.

Course Overview

Workplace exposure to infectious diseases extends far beyond the healthcare industry. OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) and the General Duty Clause (Section 5(a)(1)) establish employer obligations to protect workers from biological hazards, while the CDC provides guidance on universal and standard precautions that apply across industries. Occupational infections, including tetanus, Lyme disease, rabies, tuberculosis, and seasonal influenza, affect workers in construction, agriculture, animal services, waste management, and public safety. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored that every employer must have a plan for controlling and preventing infectious disease transmission in the workplace.

This course trains your employees to understand what causes infection, how infectious agents are transmitted through contact, droplet, and airborne pathways, and what practical steps prevent the spread of disease in the workplace. Your team will learn about common occupational and non-occupational infections, the Hierarchy of Controls as applied to biological hazards, and the purpose and components of an exposure control plan. The training covers hand hygiene, PPE selection, respiratory etiquette, and the employer's obligation to provide a safe work environment under OSHA and CDC requirements.

What You'll Learn

  • How infectious agents cause disease and the difference between bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites
  • Modes of disease transmission: contact, droplet, and airborne pathways
  • Common occupational infections including bloodborne pathogens, tuberculosis, tetanus, Lyme disease, and rabies
  • Non-occupational workplace infections including the common cold, seasonal influenza, and COVID-19
  • OSHA requirements under 29 CFR 1910.1030 (Bloodborne Pathogens) and the General Duty Clause
  • CDC universal and standard precautions for infection prevention in the workplace
  • The Hierarchy of Controls applied to biological hazards: elimination, engineering controls, administrative controls, and PPE
  • Exposure control plans: what they are, who needs them, and key components

Who Needs This Training

  • Healthcare workers, including nurses, aides, and support staff with patient or specimen contact
  • Emergency responders, law enforcement officers, and firefighters with potential exposure to blood and bodily fluids
  • Custodial and environmental services staff responsible for cleaning and disinfecting shared spaces
  • Childcare and education workers in settings with frequent person-to-person contact
  • Agriculture, veterinary, and animal services workers exposed to zoonotic diseases
  • Supervisors and safety managers responsible for developing and maintaining exposure control plans

Regulatory Background

OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) requires employers with workers who have occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials to develop a written exposure control plan, provide training, offer hepatitis B vaccination, and ensure proper PPE use. The General Duty Clause (Section 5(a)(1)) extends employer obligations to protect workers from other recognized infectious disease hazards not covered by a specific standard. PPE requirements under 29 CFR 1910.132 and respiratory protection under 29 CFR 1910.134 also apply when employees face airborne biological hazards. The CDC provides complementary guidance on standard precautions, hand hygiene, and respiratory etiquette that OSHA references in its enforcement guidance. Employers who fail to protect workers from recognized infectious disease hazards face serious violation penalties up to $16,550 and willful violation penalties up to $165,514.

Frequently Asked Questions

The primary standard is the Bloodborne Pathogens standard (29 CFR 1910.1030), which applies to any employer with workers who have reasonably anticipated occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials. The General Duty Clause (Section 5(a)(1)) covers broader infectious disease hazards. PPE standards (29 CFR 1910.132) and Respiratory Protection (29 CFR 1910.134) apply when engineering and administrative controls alone are insufficient to protect against biological hazards.
An exposure control plan is a written document required by 29 CFR 1910.1030 that identifies job classifications with occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens, describes the methods the employer will use to control exposure, and establishes procedures for post-exposure evaluation and follow-up. Any employer with employees who have reasonably anticipated exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials must maintain an exposure control plan and review it at least annually.
Yes. This course covers infectious disease transmission through contact, droplet, and airborne pathways, which includes respiratory infections such as COVID-19, seasonal influenza, and tuberculosis. The training addresses prevention measures including respiratory etiquette, hand hygiene, PPE use, ventilation, and the Hierarchy of Controls as applied to airborne biological hazards. Employers in industries with ongoing respiratory disease risk should supplement this training with site-specific protocols.
Under the Bloodborne Pathogens standard (29 CFR 1910.1030), employers must provide annual retraining for all employees with occupational exposure. For infectious disease hazards covered under the General Duty Clause rather than a specific standard, OSHA expects training to be provided at initial assignment and whenever new hazards are introduced or procedures change. Many employers conduct annual refresher training as a best practice across all infectious disease topics.
Yes. While the Bloodborne Pathogens standard most directly affects healthcare employers, any employer with workers who may encounter blood or bodily fluids, including janitorial staff, first aid responders, and public safety workers, must comply with 29 CFR 1910.1030. Beyond bloodborne pathogens, the General Duty Clause requires all employers to protect workers from recognized infectious disease hazards in their industry, whether occupational (tetanus in construction, rabies in animal services) or non-occupational (influenza, COVID-19 in any workplace).

Part of These Training Packages

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10 courses for clinical and support staff compliance

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Employers who need comprehensive biological hazard training often pair this course with Bloodborne Pathogens: Standard Precautions in the Workplace for OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030 compliance and Tuberculosis: Prevention and Control for targeted training on airborne pathogen hazards in healthcare and congregate settings.

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$29.95
per person
Volume Pricing
Team Size Price per Person
1 - 9$29.95
10 - 24$23.95
25 - 49$21.55
50 - 99$17.50
Subtotal $29.95
Language

This course is available in English, Spanish, and Multi-Language CC at no additional charge.

Certificate of completion included. Downloadable upon passing the final assessment.

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$29.95
per person