This standard was proposed in May 1989 and became effective in March 1992. The standard was developed in hope of reducing the amount of occupational related cases of Hepatitis B, HIV and other potentially infectious diseases among health care workers. The standard covers over 20 infectious diseases. The facility will follow a written exposure control plan. The plan will be reviewed and upgraded annually.

Both the Centers for Disease Control and The American Hospital Association recommend that ALL patient's blood and body fluids be handled as if infectious. Universal precautions, as defined by the CDC, are a set of precautions designed to help prevent transmission of Hepatitis, the AIDS virus (HIV) and other bloodborne pathogens. Body fluids listed under universal precautions are human blood and blood products, semen and vaginal secretions, pericardial, peritoneal, pleural, amniotic, synovial and cerebrospinal fluids, unfixed tissues and organs from humans (living or dead), saliva in dental procedure and any body fluid or clinical specimen containing visible blood.

Basic aseptic techniques must be used to limit blood contact can prevent HBV, HCV and HIV transmission in the health care setting. In September 1997 the CDC published new infection control guidelines and introduced "Standard Precautions'. Standard precautions incorporate the major features of universal precautions but added precautions for ALL body fluids, secretions and excretions (except sweat), regardless of whether or not they contain visible blood (as stated in universal precautions). It also includes precautions for non-intact skin, mucous membranes, guidelines for airborne diseases (< 5um), droplet precautions (> 5um) and contact precautions (e.g by hand contact).