6 THE ADA PRACTICAL GUIDE TO OSHA TRAINING plan accessible to employees who are exposed to bloodborne pathogens in their work. Unit Two describes these requirements in more detail. Employee Responsibilities Making office health and safety a reality requires your cooperation. You must follow the health and safety procedures your employer has adopted to protect you and your coworkers. Procedures employees must follow include: • Using any personal protective equipment as directed by your employer • Handling contaminated needles and other sharp instruments with care and disposing of them properly • Promptly reporting any “exposure incidents” • Bringing any questions or concerns you have about workplace health and safety to the attention of your employer or the office compliance manager State Laws and Regulations The information in this book is based on federal OSHA requirements. However, 27 states and territories have their own OSHA plans. These states include: Alaska New Mexico Arizona New York* California North Carolina Connecticut* Oregon Hawaii Puerto Rico Illinois* South Carolina Indiana Tennessee Iowa Utah Kentucky Vermont Maryland Virgin Islands* Michigan Virginia Minnesota Washington Nevada Wyoming New Jersey* * State plans only cover public sector (state and local government) employment State plan requirements must be at least as stringent as federal OSHA regulations. For information about the specific requirements in these states, contact the state OSHA agency. A directory of state plan agencies is available on the federal OSHA website at www. osha.gov/dcsp/osp/states.html. Ensuring workplace health and safety is a team effort, and you are an essential member of the team! Proper handling of sharp instruments is a responsibility shared by employees.