We are now Georgia Health Sciences University.

Regulatory/Guideline Drivers- Sharps Safety Precautions

In laboratories, the three primary regulatory and guidelines which require sharps safety device consideration are the OSHA Standards, particularly the Bloodborne Pathogen Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030), the CDC/NIH Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL), and the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA.

Healthcare facilities (hospitals, clinics and other patient care facilities) must follow the appropriate Infection Control Standards in addition to the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standards.  

OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030)

Pertinent Excerpts related to Sharps Safety for GHSU: 

  1. Engineering and Work Practice Controls must be the primary means used to eliminate or minimize exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Where engineering controls will reduce employee exposure either by removing, eliminating, or isolating the hazard, they must be used, and documented in the Exposure Control Plan (ECP). [29 CFR 1910.1030(c)(1)(iv)29 CFR 1910.1030(c)(1)(iv)(B)29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(2)(i), OSHA DirectiveCPL 02-02-069[CPL 2-2.69].

  2. Engineering Controls are measures (e.g., sharps disposal containers, self-sheathing needles, safer medical devices, such as sharps injury protections and needleless systems) that isolate or remove the bloodborne pathogens hazard from the workplace [29 CFR 1910.1030(b)].

    NOTE: The exposure control plan must document consideration and implementation of appropriate commercially available and effective engineering controls designed to eliminate or minimize exposure [OSHA Directive OSHA Directive CPL 02-02-069 [CPL 2-2.69]], and revised Standard Exposure Control Plan [29 CFR 1910.1030(c)(1)(iv)(B)].

  3. The revised Bloodborne Pathogens and NeedleStick Prevention Standard requirements (effective date April 18, 2001) include: 

The review and update of the Exposure Control Plan must reflect changes in technology that eliminate or reduce exposure to bloodborne pathogens and document annually consideration and implementation of appropriate commercially available and effective safer medical devices designed to eliminate or minimize occupational exposure [29 CFR 1910.1030(c)(1)(iv)(A), 29 CFR 1910.1030(c)(1)(iv)(B)].

CDC Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL)

Pertinent Excerpts related to Sharps Safety for GHSU laboratories:

Section IV: Laboratory Biosafety Level Criteria-- Biosafety Level 1/2/3 Standard Microbiological Practices, 5:

Policies for the Policies for the safe handling of sharps, such as needles, scalpels, pipettes, and broken glassware must be developed and implemented. Whenever practical, laboratory supervisors should adopt improved engineering and work practice controls that reduce risk of sharps injuries. Precautions, including those listed below, must always be taken with sharp items. These include:

  1. Careful management of needles and other sharps are of primary importance. Needles must not be bent, sheared, broken, recapped, removed from disposable syringes, or otherwise manipulated by hand before disposal.

  2. Used disposable needles and syringes must be carefully placed in conveniently located puncture-resistant containers used for sharps disposal.

  3. Non-disposable sharps must be placed in a hard walled container for transport to a processing area for decontamination, preferably by autoclaving.

  4. Broken glassware must not be handled directly. Instead, it must be removed using a brush and dustpan, tongs, or forceps. Plasticware should be substituted for glassware whenever possible.

Section V: Animal Biosafety Level Criteria- Animal Research Fcilities- Animal Biosafety Level 1/2/3 Standard Microbiological Practices, 11:

Policies for the safe handling of sharps, such as needles, scalpels, pipettes, and broken glassware must be developed and implemented.

When applicable, laboratory supervisors should adopt improved engineering and work practice controls that reduce the risk of sharps injuries. Precautions, including those listed below, must always be taken with sharp items. These include:

  1. Use of needles and syringes or other sharp instruments in the animal facility is limited to situations where there is no alternative for such procedures as parenteral injection, blood collection, or aspiration of fluids from laboratory animals and diaphragm bottles.

  2. Disposable needles must not be bent, sheared, broken, recapped, removed from disposable syringes, or otherwise manipulated by hand before disposal. Used disposable needles must be carefully placed in puncture-resistant containers used for sharps disposal. Sharps containers should be located as close to the work site as possible.

  3. Non-disposable sharps must be placed in a hard-walled container for transport to a processing area for decontamination, preferably by autoclaving.

  4. Broken glassware must not be handled directly. Instead, it must be removed using a brush and dustpan, tongs, or forceps. Plastic ware should be substituted for glassware whenever possible.

  5. Equipment containing sharp edges and corners should be avoided. 

NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA

Pertinent Excerpts related to Sharps Safety for GHSU laboratories:

Appendix G- Physical Containment- Standard Laboratory Experiments

Hypodermic needles and syringes are used only for parenteral injection and aspiration of fluids from laboratory animals and diaphragm bottles. Only needle-locking syringes or disposable syringe needle units (i.e., needle is integral to the syringe) are used for the injection or aspiration of fluids containing organisms that contain recombinant DNA molecules. Extreme caution should be used when handling needles and syringes to avoid autoinoculation and the generation of aerosols during use and disposal. Needles should not be bent, sheared, replaced in the needle sheath or guard, or removed from the syringe following use. The needle and syringe should be promptly placed in a puncture-resistant container and decontaminated, preferably autoclaved, before discard or reuse. (Appendix G-II-B-2-j, Special Practices, BL2; Appendix G-II-C-2-j, Special Practices, BL3) 

Appendix Q- Physical and Biological Containment for Recombinant DNA Research Involving Animals

Needles and syringes shall be promptly placed in a puncturee0resistnt container and decontaminated, preferable by autoclaving, before discard or reuse. (App. 6-II-B-1-b-(2))

Hypodermic needles and syringes are used only for parenteral injection and aspiration of fluids from laboratory animals and diaphragm bottles. Only needle-locking syringes or disposable syringe needle units (i.e., needle is integral to the syringe) are used for the injection or aspiration of fluids containing organisms that contain recombinant DNA molecules. Extreme caution should be used when handling needles and syringes to avoid autoinoculation and the generation of aerosols during use and disposal. Needles should not be bent, sheared, replaced in the needle sheath or guard, or removed from the syringe following use. The needle and syringe should be promptly placed in a puncture-resistant container and decontaminated, preferably autoclaved, before discard or reuse (Appendix G-II-B-2-j, BL-2N Standards; Appendix G-II-C-2-p, BL-3N Standards)

 

Revised: 1/28/13