Committee on Education and the Workforce

WASHINGTON – Legislation to help protect healthcare workers from accidental injury by needlesticks, which are injuries from needles and other "sharp" devices used in healthcare facilities, was signed into law by the President this morning. Rep. Cass Ballenger (R-NC) wrote the bill (H.R. 5178) that passed the House on Oct. 3 and cleared the Senate on Oct. 26.

The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act amends the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Bloodborne Pathogens Standard to include the definition of "safer medical devices" and the requirement that employers must consider and implement the use of such safer medical devices in their facilities.

"Today is the culmination of many months of work to make the needlestick safety legislation a reality," said Ballenger, chairman of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee. "Even before we held the first hearing on this bill, I had heard from a number of nurses and other healthcare workers expressing their support for legislation to deal with problem of sharps injuries. They continued to express support for our efforts as the bill moved through the full committee, the House, and finally the Senate."

"I want to congratulate Congressman Ballenger for his leadership on this issue," said House Education and the Workforce Chairman Bill Goodling (R-PA). "He forged a consensus between the employer and the employee communities on the best way to protect health care workers. Nurses are a vital part of our nation’s healthcare system, and this legislation makes their jobs safer."

"This new law puts the safety of healthcare workers first," said Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), chairman of the Employer-Employee Relations Subcommittee. "More than 600,000 needlestick injuries occur annually. Safer medical devices decrease the risk of exposure and improve worker safety. It makes certain that safer medical devices will be used and the lives of health care workers will be made better for it."

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