Engineering & Work Practice Controls

Because needlestick injuries are the single largest cause of exposure to bloodborne pathogens in the healthcare industry, the surest way to avoid exposure is to avoid the use of needles unless they are absolutely necessary. When possible, workers should use needleless systems to withdraw bodily fluids, access veins or arteries, administer medications or fluids, and perform any other procedure that could expose those workers to blood or other potentially infectious materials. An example of a needleless system is the jet injector, which injects medication by applying a high-pressure narrow jet of liquid that breaks the skin and allows medication to enter the body.

Needleless systems are not feasible for every application. In situations where that is the case, workers should use a needle with engineered sharp protection to perform functions that could expose them to blood or other potentially infectious material. There is a wide range of engineered sharp protection for needles, including the following:

• Needles that retract into a syringe
• IV needles that are permanently recessed in a covering that fits over the connector
• Hinged or sliding shields for syringes or phlebotomy, winged steel, and blood gas needles
• Blunted tubes that can slide out of a syringe as it retracts from the skin

Non-needle sharps, such as retractable or shielded lancets, must also have engineered sharp protection.

To learn more about Bloodborne Pathogens visit our Bloodborne Pathogens Safety Online Training web page.