Contents Page last reviewed: 01/22/2009 Highlights Bloodborne Pathogens and Needlestick Prevention Introduction Needlestick injuries and other sharps-related injuries which expose workers to bloodborne pathogens continues to be an important public health concern. Workers in many different occupations are at risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens, including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS. First Aid team members, housekeeping personnel in some settings, nurses and other healthcare providers are examples of workers who may be at risk of exposure. Bloodborne Pathogens is addressed in standards specifically for the general industry. OSHA Standards This section highlights the OSHA standard requirements, preambles to final rules (background to final rules), directives (instructions for compliance officers), and standard interpretations (official letters of interpretation of the standards) related to bloodborne pathogens and needlestick prevention. Note: Twenty-five states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have and have adopted their own standards and enforcement policies. For the most part, these States adopt standards that are identical to Federal OSHA. However, some States have adopted different standards applicable to this topic or may have different enforcement policies. The following information provides discussion on the revised standard. Needlestick Legislation Preambles to Final Rules Directives Standard Interpretations Hazard Recognition OSHA estimates that 5.6 million workers in the health care industry and related occupations are at risk of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and others. All occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) place workers at risk for infection with bloodborne pathogens. OSHA defines blood to mean human blood, human blood components, and products made from human blood. Other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) means: (1) The following human body fluids: semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva in dental procedures, any body fluid that is visibly contaminated with blood, and all body fluids in situations where it is difficult or impossible to differentiate between body fluids; (2) Any unfixed tissue or organ (other than intact skin) from a human (living or dead); and (3) HIV-containing cell or tissue cultures, organ cultures, and HIV- or HBV-containing culture medium or other solutions; and blood, organs, or other tissues from experimental animals infected with HIV or HBV. The following references aid in recognizing workplace hazards associated with bloodborne pathogens. Bloodborne Pathogens Needlestick Possible Solutions Studies show that nurses sustain the most needlestick injuries and that as many as one-third of all sharps injuries occur during disposal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 62 to 88 percent of sharps injuries can be prevented simply by using safer medical devices. The following references provide information regarding possible solutions for bloodborne pathogens and needlestick hazards. Please Note: Articles/references that are dated before April 18, 2001 may not reflect the changes of the new Bloodborne Pathogens Standard but still provide relevant, general information. Control Programs Safer Needle Devices Decontamination Post-exposure Evaluation According to the NIOSH Alert , it is estimated that 600,000 to 800,000 needlestick injuries (NSIs) and other percutaneous injuries (PIs) occur annually among health care workers. PIs are caused by sharp objects such as hypodermic needles, scalpels, suture needles, wires, trochanters, surgical pins, and saws. Additional exposure incidents include splashes and other contact with mucous membranes or non-intact skin. Post-exposure management is an integral part of a complete program for preventing infection following exposure incidents. The following references provide useful information about the management of occupational exposure incidents to blood or other potentially infectious materials. Additional Information Related Safety and Health Topics Pages Training OSHA Resources Publications OSHA Alliances Other Resources Accessibility Assistance : Contact the OSHA Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management at (202) 693-2300 for assistance accessing PDF and ZIP materials. * These files are provided for downloading.