This report originally appeared in the January 2011 issue of DOTmed Business News

By Susan A. Dolan

Working as a nurse in the 1980s during the emergence of HIV and the subsequent need for universal precautions, I recall needing to adapt my technique for certain patient care procedures to be sure I was adequately protecting myself. I remember wondering if my technique for starting IVs would be as proficient, or how much longer procedures would take me if I had to put on gloves each time. Yes, the adjustments took some time but before long, it became part of usual practice to wear the gloves for handling bodily fluids and wearing personal protective equipment while performing procedures.
It was just 20 years ago that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration promulgated its blood borne pathogen standard of 1991 (29 C. F. R. 1910.1030). The main purpose of this regulation was to protect health care personnel from bloodborne pathogen (BBP) viruses (HIV, hepatitis B & C). Health care personnel became educated on how these deadly viruses were transmitted and how to protect themselves.

Despite the BBP standard and ensuing education campaigns, exposures continued to happen. Some of these exposures were due to lack of protective personal equipment adoption by health care personnel, but others were occurring because of ongoing injuries from needles and sharps devices. The availability and use of needlestick and sharps safety devices was limited during that time, and that meant the safety of medical staff was also limited. More needed to be done, and hence the next movement toward worker safety in the area of needlestick exposures began.

This next movement was spearheaded by national health care organizations, nurses, and key stakeholders who worked to bring the issue of needlestick injury to the forefront of policymakers in Washington. However, it was the tenacious and compelling testimony of several nurses that put a face on this continuing danger in the workplace. One in particular was Karen Daley, who herself was accidently stuck with a used needle and subsequently contracted hepatitis C and HIV. Karen was and continues to be a leading advocate for needlestick safety. She tells a moving story of her journey and continues to focus her efforts on keeping this problem in the forefront to make the work environment safer for all health care personnel.

On November 6, 2000, Karen and other key advocates witnessed the signing into law of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act (PL 106-430) by President Clinton. The legislation modified the existing OSHA BBP standard by requiring the following components: implementation of safer needle and sharps engineered devices, annual exposure control plan updates, documentation of needlestick and sharps injury events, and most importantly, the inclusion of frontline staff in the evaluation and selection of the safety devices.

More Voices