Universal precautions are infection-control practices that treat all human blood and certain body fluids as potentially infectious.
An infection-control approach requiring workers to treat all human blood and certain other bodily fluids as if they are known to be infectious for bloodborne pathogens such as HIV and Hepatitis B, regardless of the source's known health status. In the U.S., this approach is embedded in OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030).
An emergency responder treating an injured individual at an accident scene wears gloves and, when appropriate, eye protection before providing first aid, regardless of whether the individual's health status is known.
Healthcare, emergency response, laboratory work, and any job involving reasonably anticipated contact with blood or certain body fluids typically fall under universal precautions requirements.
Common PPE includes gloves, gowns, face shields or masks, and eye protection, selected based on the type and likelihood of exposure anticipated for a given task.
Standard precautions is a more modern, broader term that expands on universal precautions to include additional body fluids and excretions beyond blood, though the two terms are often used interchangeably in practice.
Part of SafetyIQ's EHS glossary: plain-English definitions of workplace health and safety terms.
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