HAZWOPER 40 - Lesson 24. Bloodborne
Pathogens. Revisions and Additions to
OSHA Standards
Lesson Description - answer Because occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens
from accidental sharps injuries in healthcare and other occupational settings continues
to be a serious problem, OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030)
was modified to more precisely, and in greater detail, describe OSHA's requirement for
employers to identify, evaluate, and implement safer medical devices.
The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act was signed into law to accomplish these
goals. OSHA revised the Standard to reduce needlesticks among healthcare workers
and others who handle medical sharps in occupational settings. This lesson covers the
revisions and additions to OSHA's bloodborne pathogen standards. The lesson provides
a detailed examination of why the revisions were made, the effect of the revisions, and
the specific revisions.
Learning Objectives - answerAt the completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
Discuss the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act.
Explain the purpose for, and effect of, revision of the Bloodborne Pathogen Standards.
Describe specific revisions to the Bloodborne Pathogen Standards.
Summarize OSHA's Revisions to 1910.1030.
Introduction - answerThe Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act (the Act) (Pub. L. 106-
430) was signed into law on November 6, 2000. Because occupational exposure to
bloodborne pathogens from accidental sharps injuries in healthcare and other
occupational settings continues to be a serious problem, Congress felt that a
modification to OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) was
appropriate to set forth in greater detail (and make more specific) OSHA's requirement
for employers to identify, evaluate, and implement safer medical devices.
OSHA revised the Standard in response to the need to provide safer needle devices as
they become available, and to involve frontline employees in evaluating and choosing
the devices. The updated Standard also requires employers to maintain a log of injuries
from contaminated sharps.
Lesson Focus
, This lesson focuses on the following topics: - answerThe Needlestick Safety and
Prevention Act
Bloodborne Pathogen Standard
OSHA's Revisions to 1910.1030
Summary
Bloodborne Pathogen Standard - answerChanges in the Bloodborne Pathogens
Standard are intended to reduce needlesticks among healthcare workers and others
who handle medical sharps in occupational settings.
Specifically, the revised OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard obligates employers to
consider safer needle devices when they conduct their annual exposure control plan
(ECP) review. Use of safer sharps is considered to be an appropriate engineering
control and the best strategy for worker protection.
Employee Input - answerInvolving frontline employees in selecting safer devices
ensures that workers using them have the opportunity for input into purchasing
decisions. The new needlestick log requirement is intended to help both employees and
employers track all needlesticks to accurately identify problem areas or operations.
The updated Standard also includes provisions designed to maintain the privacy of
employees who have experienced needlesticks.
Safer Medical Devices - answerNearly 10 years have passed since the Bloodborne
Pathogen Standard was published. Since then, many different medical devices have
been developed to reduce the risk of needlesticks and other sharps injuries. These
devices were designed to replace sharps with non-needle devices or incorporate safety
features designed to reduce injuries. Despite these advances in technology,
needlesticks and other sharps injuries continue to be of concern due to their high
frequency of occurrence and the severity of the health effects that they cause.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, has estimated that healthcare
workers sustain nearly 600,000 percutaneous injuries annually involving contaminated
sharps. In response to both the continued concern over such exposures and the
technological developments that can increase employee protection, Congress passed
the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act that directed OSHA to revise the Bloodborne
Pathogens Standard. The Act directed OSHA to revise the Standard to require
employers to both identify and make use of newer, more effective, and safer medical
devices. That revision was published on January 18, 2001 and became effective on
April 18, 2001.
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