Guest Author - Ruby Joiner

Assessing Compliance

To see if your facility is following the law, review the following checklist for compliance:

Does a written exposure control program (ECP) exist?

Has a hard copy of the (ECP) been made available to employees or whenever new or modified procedures are adopted or whenever employee positions are revised in such a way that creates new potential exposures?

Does the annual review of the ECP include a review of the most recent technological advances?

Are needleless or shielded-needle iv line access products provided?

Are safer needles and other sharps with integrated features being used when medically appropriate? They should be available in syringes, blood collection devices, iv access products, lancets, and blunt suture needles.

Are purchasing decisions based on the safest and most effective option as opposed to the least expensive?

Have frontline health care workers received interactive training on the use of safer devices from a knowledgeable person; been informed of the location of the ECP and the procedures to follow if an exposure occurs: and been given access within two hours to postexposure follow-up that conforms to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for testing and prophylaxis?

Is there a sharps injury log updated regularly with the details of all needlestick injuries, including device brand and type?