The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced changes to the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard 29 CFR Part 1910.1030, effective April 18, 2001. The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act mandated these changes, which require employers to 1) select safer needle devices as they become available and 2) involve employees in identifying and choosing the devices to help reduce needlestick injuries among healthcare workers and others who handle medical sharps.
Since the revision, EHRS has been recruiting participants to evaluate devices with engineered sharps injury protection, which are defined as a non-needle sharp or a needle device used for withdrawing body fluids, accessing a vein or artery,or administering medications or other fluids, with a built-in safety feature or mechanism that effectively reduces the risk of an exposure incident. Volunteers have substituted devices with engineered sharps injury protection for regular sharps in an effort to evaluate the effectiveness of these devices. The outcome of these evaluations will be made available to University employees in the University's Exposure Control Plan.
Many University of Pennsylvania personnel covered by the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard work in a research setting. EHRS has chosen the following safety engineered sharps devices to evaluate at this time because they are most commonly used and have documented associations with injuries in the research setting.
To review the results of non-managerial employee evaluations of safety-engineered sharps devices, you must verify your affiliation with the University of Pennsylvania with a University email address. Click on the appropriate report below to request that report e-mailed to you.
The Office of Environmental Health and Radiation Safety (EHRS), on behalf of the University of Pennsylvania and its Health System, conducted these product evaluations as part of its compliance with the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act and the related Bloodborne Pathogens Standards issued by OSHA. EHRS did not receive any consideration or compensation from any product manufacturer or distributor whose product(s) were evaluated. The recommendations and opinions expressed on these pages are the result of the information gathered from employees, and do not reflect any individual employee's recommendation or opinion, or a recommendation or opinion for any purpose other than compliance with the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act and the related OSHA regulations.