OSHA Hepatitis B Vaccination Protection Fact Sheet

Description of employers responsibilities to offer vaccination to workers exposed to Hepatitis B virus HBV.

Hepatitis B Vaccination Protection

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a pathogenic microorganism that can cause potentially lifethreatening disease in humans. HBV infection is transmitted through exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM), as defined in the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030.

Any workers who have reasonably anticipated contact with blood or OPIM during performance of their jobs are considered to have occupational exposure and to be at risk of being infected. Workers infected with HBV face a risk for liver ailments which can be fatal, including cirrhosis of the liver and primary liver cancer. A small percentage of adults who get hepatitis B never fully recover and remain chronically infected. In addition…