Sharps Safety and OSHA Compliance: Staying on the Right Side of the Law

Despite legislation, regulation and stepped-up oversight and education campaigns by public and private sectors, needlesticks and other sharps-related injuries persist, although with variance in the rates depending on the healthcare setting. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)'s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard  outlines what employers must do to protect workers who are occupationally exposed to blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM), and on Nov. 6, 2000, President Bill Clinton signed into law the bloodborne pathogens standard (BBP) by way of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act.