As the flu season approaches, the non-profit group Safe in Common is urging healthcare providers that will administer the flu vaccine to use syringes with safety features that can protect providers from needlestick injuries.
To comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, employers are required to use syringes with safety-engineered equipment to help protect healthcare personnel against the risk of infection from needlestick injuries. Employers who fail to comply with the requirements of the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard risk being issued with citations and financial penalties by OSHA.
"The hectic environments where flu vaccines are often given, as well as safety deficiencies in the syringes typically used for these injections, can put healthcare personnel at significant risk of incurring a needlestick injury," said Mary Foley, chairperson of Safe in Common. "Safe in Common is calling for all providers of the flu vaccine to stock sufficient supplies of safety-engineered equipment and appropriate disposal systems to cover every flu vaccine that will be given at their site."
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To comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, employers are required to use syringes with safety-engineered equipment to help protect healthcare personnel against the risk of infection from needlestick injuries. Employers who fail to comply with the requirements of the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard risk being issued with citations and financial penalties by OSHA.
"The hectic environments where flu vaccines are often given, as well as safety deficiencies in the syringes typically used for these injections, can put healthcare personnel at significant risk of incurring a needlestick injury," said Mary Foley, chairperson of Safe in Common. "Safe in Common is calling for all providers of the flu vaccine to stock sufficient supplies of safety-engineered equipment and appropriate disposal systems to cover every flu vaccine that will be given at their site."
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