Our EPINet network facilities continue to help us drive national and international awareness about the importance of incident and exposure surveillance for sharps injuries , needlesticks , and mucocutaneous ( blood and body fluid ) exposures .
Based on experiences and data from our EPINet network facilities , we can help to shape and improve the public health landscape to reduce ongoing endemic levels of HCV and HIV and prepare for whatever challenges are ahead .”
— Ginger B . Parker
To close this chasm between policy and implementation , the ISC ( 2017 ) points to the need for manufacturers to recognize these exposures as “ an opportunity to create products that fill a need and narrow a gap to protect workers exposed to blood , body fluids , and other biologic hazards … Manufacturing and purchases of these alternatives are ramping up . It is the time to make sure that they are done safely , appropriately , and with the utmost quality so that they best protect the workers that wear them .”
A longstanding example has been safety-engineered medical devices such as safety syringes and suturing needles , as part of the engineering and work practice control . OSHA ’ s BloodBorne Pathogen Standard states that “ Engineering and work practice controls shall be used to eliminate or minimize employee exposure . Where occupational exposure remains after institution of these controls , personal protective equipment shall also be used .”
The EPINet data show that there wasn ’ t an increase in the use of devices with engineering controls , so some are asking whether clinicians can apply pressure to manufacturers to make better devices and provide additional training , and how can healthcare facilities drive higher compliance not only with safety-engineered devices but use of all elements of PPE .
“ The pressure shouldn ’ t so much be on clinicians to apply pressure externally to manufacturers , but for employers to comply with the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard and work within their distribution networks on finding devices best suited to preventing injuries based on what their frontline staff have evaluated and selected ,” Mitchell emphasizes . “ While the 2000 Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act brought renewed focus on the importance of using sharps injury prevention devices , the requirement to use engineering controls to prevent exposure to blood and body fluids has been in place since 1992 . Clinicians don ’ t need additional burdens ; they need their employers and leaders to decide that complying with federal regulations matters to them .”
Mitchell continues , “ One of the long-time , intentionally-designed benefits of EPINet is being able to provide not only internal decision-makers , but external partners like manufacturers and distributors with
information about what devices are causing injuries , whether they had “ safety ” features or not , whether they were activated , and disposed of safely . EPINet is free for anyone to use , and it can be a terrific tool to help document what devices may need to be evaluated or re-evaluated by frontline workers using them .”
“ Our EPINet network facilities continue to help us drive national and international awareness about the importance of incident and exposure surveillance for sharps injuries , needlesticks , and mucocutaneous ( blood and body fluid ) exposures ”, says Ginger B . Parker , the ISC ’ s chief information officer and deputy director . She continues , “ based on experiences and data from our EPINet network facilities , we can help to shape and improve the public health landscape to reduce ongoing endemic levels of HCV and HIV and prepare for whatever challenges are ahead .”
The ISC ( 2017 ) has identified key areas to make progress in reducing the risk of occupational exposure to infectious microorganisms , specifically related to work attire worn in healthcare settings .
The first key issue is understanding the role of work wear and occupational exposure to Infectious disease and biologic hazards . The ISC ( 2017 ) recommends that :
• New work wear contamination data collected in clinical settings is shared with government agencies including OSHA , NIOSH , CDC , and others so that they have the most up-to-date information to consider in updating their worker safety and health standards , guidance , and recommendations
• Health and Human Services agencies such as CDC / NIOSH and other government and non-governmental agencies and professional organizations support epidemiological research that evaluates risks to workers as it relates to the role of work wear occupational exposure to infectious disease
• Professional groups and manufacturers join forces to encourage development of work wear that provides the best protection for workers when they are not wearing PPE or barrier garments
• Institutions adopt policies that include measuring blood and body fluid exposures to identify incidence of work wear contamination
The second key issue is reducing occupational exposures by improving compliance with and the protective factor of PPE and barrier garments for anticipated exposures . As the ISC ( 2017 ) points out , “ Occupational surveillance data capturing splash and splatter incidents from the EPINet network of U . S . hospitals indicates that when exposures do happen , employees are infrequently wearing PPE or barrier garments that prevent blood and body fluids from touching skin or mucous membranes .” The ISC ( 2017 ) recommends that :
• Health and Human Services agencies such as CDC / NIOSH and other government and non-governmental agencies and professional organizations