Comparing non-safety with safety device sharps injury incidence data from two different occupational surveillance systems

Abstract

The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Bloodborne Pathogens Standard as amended by the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act requiring the use of safety-engineered medical devices to prevent needlesticks and sharps injuries has been in place since 2001. Injury changes over time include differences between those from non-safety compared with safety-engineered medical devices. This research compares two US occupational incident surveillance systems to determine whether these data can be generalized to other facilities and other countries either with legislation in place or considering developing national policies for the prevention of sharps injuries among healthcare personnel.

Keywords: Blood and body fluid exposures; Bloodborne pathogens; Healthcare personnel safety; Needlesticks; Safety-engineered devices; Sharps injuries.