Sharps Injury Prevention List and Information
March 2016
In all workplaces where employees are exposed to contaminated needles or other contaminated sharps, the employer shall comply with 29CFR 1910.1030, Tennessee Code Annotated 50-3-203(e)(1)-(e)(4) and Tennessee Rule 0800-1-10 as follows:
- Evaluate available engineered sharps injury prevention devices
- Select the devices most appropriate to your procedures and workplace
- Use the selected devices
- Involve frontline employees directly involved in patient care in the evaluation and selection
- Train employees to use the devices
- Document the solicitation of input
- Update annually the Exposure Control Plan to document the devices evaluated and those placed into use
- Maintain a Sharps Injury Log with:
- Type and brand of device involved in the exposure incident
- Department or work area of occurrence
- Explanation of how it occurred
The list below is to assist employers in complying with changes in Tennessee Code Annotated Section 50-3-203 (Senate Bill 1023/House Bill 634). Inclusion of types of devices does not represent or imply any evaluation, endorsement, or approval by The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Tennessee Department of Health, or any other agency. This list is not all inclusive.
Needle guards-sliding sheath/ sleeve, hinged recap
Needleless jet injection
Retractable needles
Prefilled syringes
Needle guards for pre-filled medication cartridges
Needleless IV access-blunted cannulas
Needleless valve/access ports and connectors
Prefilled medication cartridge with safety needles
Recessed/protected needle
Needle guards for pre-filled medication cartridges
Shielded or retracting peripheral IV catheters
Shielded midline IV catheters
Hinged recapping needle
Plastic blood collection tubes
Retracting needle
Self-blunting needle
Shielded winged blood collection needles
Single use sliding sheath blood collection needle and tube holder
Blood Donor Phlebotomy Devices
Laser lancet
Retracting Strip Lancet
Strip Lancet
Hemoglobin reader
Mylar-wrapped glass capillary tubes
Plastic capillary tubes
Protected needles for blood culture vial access
Vacuum tube stopper
Plastic fingerstick sampling blood collection tube
Slide preparation devices
Sliding Sheath scalpel
Quick-release scalpel blade handles
Retracting scalpel
Laser scalpel
Ultrasonic scalpel
Hands free transfer disposable magnetic drapes
Sharps counting and disposal system
Magnetic floor sweep
Scalpel blade removal system
Needleless urine sampling port
Gloves
Liners or pads
The next list below contains website resources that can be used for the purposes of information and research. The examples of effective engineering controls in this list do not include all those on the market, but are simply representative of the devices available. Neither the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development nor the Tennessee Department of Health approve, endorse, register or certify any medical devices. Inclusion on this list does not indicate approval, endorsement, registration or certification.
International Health Care Worker Safety Center, University of Virginia
Features a list of safety devices with manufacturers and specific product names.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Programs and Safer Needle Devices
Provides information on sharps injury control programs and information about a variety of safer needle devices.
OSHA Instruction CPL 2-2.69
Enforcement procedures for the Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens
Instruction that establishes policies and provides clarification to ensure uniform inspection procedures are followed when conducting inspections to enforce the Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030).
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Safety Alert:
Needle stick and Other Risks from Hypodermic Needles on Secondary IV Administration Sets - Piggyback and Intermittent IV
Warns of the risk of needle stick injuries from the use of hypodermic needles as a connection between two pieces of intravenous (IV) equipment. Describes characteristics of devices which have the potential to decrease the risk of needle stick injuries.
Training for Development of Innovative Control Technologies (TDICT) Project
Features "Safety Feature Evaluation Forms" for specific devices.