Guides
Straight answers for tattooers and piercers, from the text of the OSHA standard and each health department's published rules. Every guide lists its sources.
Is there such a thing as OSHA-approved BBP training?
No. OSHA does not approve or certify training courses, for tattooing or anything else. A course can be written to the bloodborne pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030. Whether your certificate counts for a license is up to your health department or licensing board.
Should you get your BBP cert before your apprenticeship?
If your state or county licenses apprentices or requires BBP training before you touch equipment, you need it first. Where it isn't required up front, having it before you ask for an apprenticeship still shows a shop you've done the homework.
How often do you need to renew your BBP cert?
For employees under OSHA, every year: training must be repeated within one year of the previous training. Body-art license rules vary. Most that set a cycle ask for yearly training, El Paso County, Colorado asks every two years, and Florida asks only for the initial license.
What to bring for a guest spot or convention
Have a current BBP certificate you can show on your phone, with a number the shop or inspector can look up. The local health department's license or temporary permit is a separate requirement and is set by where you're working, not where you live.
Barriers, sharps and cleanup at the station: what the OSHA standard says
The OSHA standard allows protective coverings like plastic wrap on equipment and surfaces, and requires replacing them when they're contaminated or at the end of the shift. Contaminated sharps go into closable, puncture-resistant, leakproof, labeled containers that aren't overfilled, and hands get washed right after gloves come off.