ALAUX 040/26 Subj: UPDATE – BLOODBORNE PATHOGEN (BBP) TRAINING REQUIREMENT
1. This ALAUX updates the Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) training requirement originally promulgated in ALAUX 004/26. In accordance with the Coast Guard Safety and Environmental Health Manual (COMDTINST M5100.47 series) and OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.1030, BBP training is an exposure risk-based requirement. Effective immediately, BBP training is NOT a blanket requirement for all Auxiliary members but is strictly required for Auxiliarists assigned to duty in designated operational competencies where exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) may reasonably occur during ordered missions.
2. Annual BBP Training Requirement: For the competencies listed below, members must complete initial BBP training prior to qualification and maintain annual refresher training to remain qualified and certified for ordered operations:
• Aircraft Commander
• Air Co Pilot
• Air Crew
• Air First Pilot
• Air Observer
• Aviation CRM Initial Instructor / Facilitator
• Aviation CRM Refresher Instructor / Facilitator
• Instructor Pilot / Flight Examiner
• Short Range UAS Remote Pilot
• Aids to Navigation Technician
• Aids to Navigation Verifier – PQS
• Auxiliary Paddlecraft Operator
• Auxiliary Paddlecraft Qualification Examiner
• Auxiliary Paddlecraft Sit on Top Operator
• Boat Crew Coxswain
• Boat Crewmember
• Personal Watercraft Operator
• Personal Watercraft Operator – In Training
• Qualification Examiner
• Qualification Examiner – Personal Watercraft
• Watchstander
• Telecommunications Operator
3. Non-Operational Members & Transitional Guidance: Auxiliarists who do not hold or pursue one of the designated operational competencies above (e.g., members focused solely on Public Education, Vessel Examinations, Program Visits, or general administrative staff) are exempt from the BBP training requirement. Those who enter one of the designated competencies without prior completion must complete BBP training at that time to achieve certification.
4. Integration into Annual National Operations Workshops: To streamline compliance and reduce administrative burden, the mandatory annual BBP refresher training content will be incorporated permanently and directly into the annual National Operations Workshops (Surface, Air, and Telecommunications).
a. Completion of the respective annual Operations Workshop, whether or not it is designated as mandatory for a calendar year (CY), and its recording in AUXDATA II will satisfy the annual BBP refresher training requirement for that CY. When the Operations Workshop is not designated as mandatory for a CY, the BBP refresher training may be completed for credit at any time during the CY in order to avoid placement in REYR status.
b. For members who cannot attend a scheduled workshop, or for those newly qualifying in a competency outside the workshop cycle, the standalone BBP course will remain permanently available through the Auxiliary Online Classroom and will be credited in AUXDATA II upon completion.
5. Current Qualified Members & Compliance Timelines:
a. Currently qualified operational members who have completed BBP training within the preceding 12 months remain in good standing through CY 2026. Credit for CY 2027 will be achieved upon completion in CY2027.
b. Currently qualified operational members who have not yet completed BBP training must do so prior to 31 March 2027 to remain in good standing and avoid being placed in REYR status at that time. If completed during the 01 January to 31 March 2027 time frame, then credit will also apply for the full CY 2027.
c. BBP training completions will continue to be tracked in AUXDATA II against the member’s operational competency.
6. Policy Alignment & Program Updates: This update follows a review of the Auxiliary Operations Process Guide and BBP guidance to ensure the training requirement reflects actual mission exposure and risk. It will be formally incorporated into the next change to the Auxiliary Operations Process Guide: Volume I – General/Surface. This adjustment aligns the Auxiliary BBP training requirement with the low-frequency, incidental nature of potential exposure during authorized Coast Guard missions, while ensuring members operating in these competencies maintain appropriate safety awareness and operational readiness.
7. Course Access: Standalone BBP training enrollment instructions, access information, and completion recording procedures remain unchanged from ALAUX 004/26. The BBP training course remains available through the Auxiliary Online Classroom.
8. Internet release is authorized.
