Is there such a thing as OSHA-approved BBP training?

What OSHA says

OSHA wrote in a 1991 interpretation letter that it does not approve or certify training programs. That hasn't changed. Any course selling itself as "OSHA approved" or "OSHA certified" is using words OSHA doesn't back.

What OSHA does set is what the training has to cover. Paragraph (g)(2)(vii) of 29 CFR 1910.1030 lists the required elements, from how bloodborne diseases spread to what to do after an exposure. A course written to the standard covers that list.

Why the forms still say it

Some health departments use the phrase anyway. The Southern Nevada Health District asks for training from the Red Cross or an "OSHA approved" program. El Paso County, Colorado asks for an "OSHA-approved" course. In both cases the agency, not OSHA, decides which certificates it takes.

If the form says "OSHA approved," read it as "a bloodborne pathogens course that meets the OSHA standard." If you're unsure, ask the health department before you pay for anything.

The question-and-answer rule

The standard requires an opportunity for interactive questions and answers with the person conducting the training, under 1910.1030(g)(2)(vii)(N). OSHA's interpretations say online training alone doesn't meet that unless a qualified person is available to answer questions. A course worth paying for tells you who answers and how.

What actually decides it

Your state or county body-art rules. Some take any course written to 1910.1030. California counties, Florida, South Carolina and Philadelphia keep approved-provider lists. Minnesota requires at least 5 hours. New York City runs its own class. The state and county page lists each one with a link to the rule.