For a printable version, please see Needle Safety.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
OSHA ensures safe and healthful working conditions by enforcing standards, including the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) that is designed to protect workers from risk of exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens (BBPs), such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and applies to employees reasonably anticipated to have occupational exposure to human blood or Other Potentially Infectious Materials (OPIM). The Federal Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act is a regulation that provides greater detail to the BBP Standard regarding safeguards to protect works against health hazards related to BBPs.
Needles in the Laboratory
Sharps injuries are a significant health hazard for laboratorians and animal care workers that can be prevented. A sharp item is designed to cut or puncture skin. Sharps include needles, syringes with needles, scalpel blades, lancets and razor blades. Broken vials, ampules, glass slides, or glass Pasteur pipettes are also considered sharps. Personnel handling sharps in research laboratories that are contaminated with biological materials are at higher risk due to types of agents and the concentrations used, since a sharps device is one of the most effective means of transmitting infectious agents.
Engineering controls remove or isolate hazards. Start by eliminating or reducing the use of needles and other sharps if possible and only use needles if absolutely necessary. Safer mechanical devices must be implemented to prevent occupational exposures. However, if no safer device is available, then work practices controls should be used to reduce risk. A review of new safer options should be performed annually.
Safer sharps devices are engineered to prevent sharps injuries:
- Retracting needles (#1, 5, 8)
- Sliding sheaths (#3, 4, 6)
- Hinged caps (#2, 7)
- Blunt tip suture needles or scalpels
- Needleless systems
Sharps Work Practice Controls
- Before a Procedure
- Always plan ahead. The extra time to plan, prevents you from rushing through your work.
- Wear proper PPE – lab coat, gloves, and eye protection.
- Make sure sharps container is immediately nearby for disposal.
- Visually inspect sharps container to ensure not overfilled past the 2/3rd mark and ensure sharps container will be able to accommodate the sharps you will be using.
- Securely close filled sharps container and obtain a new sharps container prior to starting a procedure.
- During a Procedure
- Maintain visual contact with sharps during use.
- Be aware of other personnel nearby.
- Prepare to use the sharp device as soon as sharps are first exposed.
- Do not rush or get careless while performing work with needles. Shortcuts often lead to injuries.
- Avoid repetitive work that can create an autopilot mindset which may increase the risk of needle stick, since you are less likely to consider preventative measures.
- Take 20-30 second breaks between injections to help refocus on work performance.
- Use a holder, such as a tube rack or mechanical devices to hold tubes when extracting liquid samples.
- Do NOT pass exposed sharps from one person to another.
- After Needle Use
- Activate the safety feature of device as soon as procedure is completed if present. Observe audible or visual cues to confirm feature is locked into place.
- Be accountable of all sharps you use and dispose of any sharp objects you personally use.
- Inspect work area to confirm no sharps are inadvertently left behind after the procedure.
- NEVER recap a needle. The most common needle stick incidents occur when recapping a needle after use.
- If recapping is absolutely necessary, use a mechanical device such as a forceps/tweezers or the scoop method to recap a needle. This deviation must be included in the laboratory Exposure Control Plan.
- If recapping is absolutely necessary, use a mechanical device such as a forceps/tweezers or the scoop method to recap a needle. This deviation must be included in the laboratory Exposure Control Plan.
- During Needle Disposal
- Keep hands behind the tip of any sharps.
- Immediately dispose of all sharps after use into a sharps container.
- Avoid putting hands close to sharps container opening.
- Never put hands or fingers into sharps container.
- Replace sharps containers before becoming overfilled.
If you receive a needle stick injury:
- Stay calm! Wash the wound with soap and water for 15 minutes.
- Notify UVA WorkMed (243-0075) immediately during normal business hours. Medical personnel will advise if a post-exposure evaluation in the clinic is necessary. For after hours or if the injury is severe, go to the Hospital Emergency Room.
- All exposures must be reported to your supervisor and PI.
- PIs are responsible for reporting exposure incidents to EHS Biosafety, who will conduct an investigation to determine the risks and hazards associated with the research procedure and discuss preventative measures.
REMEMBER: You are part of Sharps Injury Prevention!
- Adhere to safe work practices.
- Use engineering controls and mechanical devices instead of using your hands.
- Assist and support coworkers in ensuring safe practices are being followed.
- Report injuries and exposures to human blood or body fluids, sharps injuries, and near misses.
- Report any injury or exposure to organisms containing recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules immediately to the Biosafety Office, who will notify the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) and provide a written report to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Science Policy (OSP) as required by the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines).
- Complete training:
Know where your laboratory’s Biosafety Manual and ECP is located for reference:
- Researchers will be emailed a link to the updated PDF of the Biosafety e-Manual when updates or changes occur.
- PIs, Contact Persons, and PI Associates can access the Biosafety e-Manual for viewing/printing through the IAR webpage (log-in).
