Fw: Needlesstick Safety and Prevention Act Update

[Guest guest]

Needlesstick Safety and Prevention Act Update

>

> Dear Ron,

>

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------

>Political Action Newsletter

>

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------

> Please pass this on to an interested friend.

>

>

> The Needlesstick Safety and Prevention Act has passed the Senate and the

House and has now been sent on for the President's signature.

>

>

> Here's summary of the bill:

>

> Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act - Revises the bloodborne pathogens

standard, in effect under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970

(OSHA) to include safer medical devices, such as sharps with engineered

sharps injury protections and needleless systems, as examples of engineering

controls designed to eliminate or minimize occupational exposure to

bloodborne pathogens through needlestick and other percutaneous injuries.

Requires certain employers to: (1) review and update exposure control plans

to reflect changes in technology that eliminate or reduce such exposure, and

document their consideration and implementation of appropriate commercially

available and effective safer medical devices for such purpose; (2) maintain

a sharps injury log, noting the type and brand of device used, where the

injury occurred, and an explanation of the incident (exempting employers who

are not required to maintain specified OSHA logs); and (3) seek input on

such engineering and work practice controls from the affected health care

workers (exempting employers who are not required to establish exposure

control plans).

>

> Requires such modifications of the standard to: (1) be in force until

superseded by regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Labor under OSHA;

and (2) take effect without regard to specified procedural requirements.

>

>

>

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>

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>

[Guest guest]

Needlesstick Safety and Prevention Act Update

>

> Dear Ron,

>

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------

>Political Action Newsletter

>

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------

> Please pass this on to an interested friend.

>

>

> The Needlesstick Safety and Prevention Act has passed the Senate and the

House and has now been sent on for the President's signature.

>

>

> Here's summary of the bill:

>

> Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act - Revises the bloodborne pathogens

standard, in effect under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970

(OSHA) to include safer medical devices, such as sharps with engineered

sharps injury protections and needleless systems, as examples of engineering

controls designed to eliminate or minimize occupational exposure to

bloodborne pathogens through needlestick and other percutaneous injuries.

Requires certain employers to: (1) review and update exposure control plans

to reflect changes in technology that eliminate or reduce such exposure, and

document their consideration and implementation of appropriate commercially

available and effective safer medical devices for such purpose; (2) maintain

a sharps injury log, noting the type and brand of device used, where the

injury occurred, and an explanation of the incident (exempting employers who

are not required to maintain specified OSHA logs); and (3) seek input on

such engineering and work practice controls from the affected health care

workers (exempting employers who are not required to establish exposure

control plans).

>

> Requires such modifications of the standard to: (1) be in force until

superseded by regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Labor under OSHA;

and (2) take effect without regard to specified procedural requirements.

>

>

>

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------

>

> =========================================================================

>