To comply with requirements from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and a new federal law, you'll need to take steps to prevent and track needlestick injuries: The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act requires you to keep a sharps injury log listing where and how the injury occurred, and the type and brand of device used. Review data to spot trends in needlestick injuries caused by equipment design flaws and behavior patterns. ED staff must be trained annually in needlestick injury prevention, including proper disposal of sharps, universal precautions, and what to do if a needlestick occurs. To enforce universal precautions, give staff verbal and written warnings and role-model appropriate behavior.
