What 29 CFR 1910.1030 requires (plain English)
29 CFR 1910.1030 protects workers from bloodborne pathogens: disease-causing microorganisms in human blood, principally Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B (HBV), and Hepatitis C (HCV). It applies to any employee with "occupational exposure": reasonably anticipated skin, eye, mucous-membrane, or parenteral (needlestick) contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) in the course of their duties. That reaches far beyond hospitals: it covers EMS, funeral services, laboratories, tattooing, and custodial and laundry work handling contaminated items.
The centerpiece is a written Exposure Control Plan that identifies which jobs have occupational exposure and how the employer will reduce it. The plan must be built on Universal Precautions, treating all human blood and OPIM as if infectious, and a hierarchy of controls: engineering controls first (sharps disposal containers, self-sheathing needles, needleless systems), then work-practice controls, then personal protective equipment (gloves, gowns, face protection). The employer must solicit input from non-managerial frontline workers when selecting safer sharps devices, and review the plan at least annually.
The standard also mandates a medical safety net. The Hepatitis B vaccine must be offered to every exposed worker within 10 working days of initial assignment, at no cost. After any exposure incident, the employer must provide a confidential medical evaluation and follow-up, again at no cost. Training is required at initial assignment and at least annually. Medical records must be kept for the duration of employment plus 30 years; training records for 3 years.