Under OSHA standards, is mouth pipetting of blood allowed?

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not Specified
• D. Sometimes Allowed

Answer: (A)

Mouth pipetting of blood is not allowed under OSHA standards. The reason is that handling blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) must be done with mechanical means to prevent exposure to pathogens such as HIV, HBV, and HCV. The Bloodborne Pathogens Standard requires using devices like pipette bulbs, mechanical pipettors, or other approved suction methods to transfer liquids, eliminating the risk that comes with drawing material into the mouth. By relying on mechanical pipetting, you maintain a barrier between you and the infectious material, reducing the chance of splash, aerosol, or direct mucous membrane exposure. In practice, if you need to transfer a volume, always use a mechanical device rather than mouth suction, and follow proper decontamination and disposal procedures for contaminated materials.