Cleaning blood-contaminated carpet under OSHA rules

June 10, 1994
Mr. Robert L. Bays, Sr.
Director of Technical Support
Huntington Laboratories, Inc.
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Mr. Bays:
This is in response to your letter of November 5, 1993, requesting clarification of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation 29 CFR 1910.1030, "Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens." We apologize for the delay in this response.
Specifically, you inquired about the decontamination of a plush carpet surface after a blood or other potentially infectious material (OPIM) spill has occurred. In our November 16, 1992 letter to Ms. Gwendolyn Mayo of Mayo Aviation, we stated "the employer may be able to satisfactorily accomplish the decontamination of plush carpets." We were incorrect in making this statement. We apologize for any confusion this statement may have caused. OSHA does not have any evidence to support whether decontamination of plush carpets is possible; it is our opinion that carpeted surfaces cannot be routinely decontaminated. However, under normal circumstances, carpeted surfaces are located in areas where there is minimal exposure from dermal contact, therefore, employers are expected to make a reasonable effort to clean and sanitize carpeting and soft plush surfaces with carpet detergent/cleaner products. In the case of extended patient transport flight aircraft, elimination or minimization of soft plush surfaces, in accordance with FAA regulations, would be beneficial from the standpoint of complying with this requirement of the standard.
OSHA requires that equipment and surfaces be cleaned and disinfected after contact with blood or OPIM. It is the employer's responsibility to determine and implement an appropriate written schedule for cleaning and the method of decontamination based on the location within a facility, the type of surface to be cleaned, the type of spill present, and the tasks or procedures being performed in the area.
We hope this information is responsive to your concerns and thank you for your interest in safety and health.
Sincerely,

H. Berrien Zettler, Deputy Director
[Directorate of Enforcement Programs]
[Corrected 6/2/2005]

[Requester letter reproduced on OSHA page; omitted here.]