(Completed OHB Activity - Dates: 1996-2005)
Background
There are more than 700,000 health care workers
in California. Many health care workers
use needles and other sharp devices that may
result in injury. In 2001, more than 12,000 needlesticks were reported in California
health care workers.
Every needlestick carries with it a possible risk of infection
with hepatitis B virus (HBV),
hepatitis C virus (HCV), or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Using safer equipment,
called safety engineered medical devices, and receiving specialized
safety training can prevent these injuries and the diseases that may result from them.
To do this, the Sharps Injury Control Program (SHARPS) was established in 1996 by California
Senate Bill 1208. In addition, the program completed a 3-year grant (2004-2006) from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to collect detailed data on sharps injuries in
California hospitals.
Purpose
The purpose of the SHARPS program was to collect and provide
information that helps health care workers and employers reduce the risk of sharps
injuries.
Activities
To accomplish this, we:
- Collected data on needlesticks in California acute care hospitals to find out who is getting
injured and how the injuries occur;
- Analyzed trends in sharps injuries over time to evaluate the effectiveness of the Cal/OSHA
Bloodborne Pathogens Standard in reducing sharps injuries in health care workers;
- Provided information on available safety engineered
medical devices through a web-based device list;
- Evaluated user satisfaction with selected safety
engineered medical devices through focus groups with clinicians (2003-2004).
In 2005, the program was closed due to a reduction in funds from the State of California.
The list of safety engineered medical devices that was evaluated and maintained by the
SHARPS program is no longer available. For those interested in this information, a list
of devices designed to prevent needlestick and sharps injuries and exposure to bloodborne pathogens
is posted by the University of Virginia International Health Care Worker Safety Center
at
www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/epinet/safetydevice.cfm.
Occupational Health Surveillance and Evaluation Program
(OHSEP) home page
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