OSHA
Introduction
OSHA standards are the guidelines that are implemented to help employers and employees stay safe from potential hazards. There are at least 5.5 million healthcare related injuries, caused by improper usage of waste material, needles pricks, and accidental exposure.
OSHA standards were created to decrease the risk and spread of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), and others. When handling sharp objects for health related issues, employees must use the utmost care in order to decrease the risk of infection. Handling sharp devices or equipment such as scalpels, hypodermic needles, blood collection devices, sutures, or phlebotomy devices present a potential risk. Around 600,000 needle pricks occur annually in the hospital and medical setting.
Unfortunately nurses sustain the most of these needle prick injuries. Needle prick injuries and injuries from other sharps result in occupational blood borne pathogens exposure, and continue to be a pressing national health concern.
Employers in health care facilities should follow these or similar guidelines…
- follow-through in blood borne pathogen training and observe recommended infection prevention practice, including Hepatitis B vaccination
- if there are alternate devices to use for specific care that does not involve needles, use those devices to decrease risk
- find the most effective and acceptable use for disposing of used needles
- needle prick injuries and other sharps-related injuries must have a standard way of care and successful intervention efforts
- all health care workers must be properly trained in the safe use and proper discarding of needles
- identify specific work practices and procedures, which pose the greatest threat of a needle prick injury and find alternatives to make them safer
- promote safety awareness in the work environment
- mandate procedures for reporting and insist on timely follow-up of all needle prick and other sharps injuries.
- monitor the effectiveness of prevention efforts and provide feedback on performance
- encourage employees to use instruments with safety features provided by the employer
- do not recap needles
- prepare guidelines for safe handling and discarding of needles
discard used needles promptly in disposal containers
- encourage employees to notify employer about bio-hazards from needles that they observe
