Public Law 106-430

PUBLIC LAW 106–430—NOV. 6, 2000

114 STAT. 1901

Public Law 106–430
106th Congress
An Act
To require changes in the bloodborne pathogens standard in effect under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

Nov. 6, 2000
[H.R. 5178]
Needlestick
Safety and
Prevention Act.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Needlestick Safety and Prevention
Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

The Congress finds the following:
(1) Numerous workers who are occupationally exposed to
bloodborne pathogens have contracted fatal and other serious
viruses and diseases, including the human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV), hepatitis B, and hepatitis C from exposure to
blood and other potentially infectious materials in their workplace.
(2) In 1991 the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a standard regulating occupational exposure to
bloodborne pathogens, including the human immunodeficiency
virus, (HIV), the hepatitis B virus (HBV), and the hepatitis
C virus (HCV).
(3) Compliance with the bloodborne pathogens standard
has significantly reduced the risk that workers will contract
a bloodborne disease in the course of their work.
(4) Nevertheless, occupational exposure to bloodborne
pathogens from accidental sharps injuries in health care settings continues to be a serious problem. In March 2000, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that
more than 380,000 percutaneous injuries from contaminated
sharps occur annually among health care workers in United
States hospital settings. Estimates for all health care settings
are that 600,000 to 800,000 needlestick and other percutaneous
injuries occur among health care workers annually. Such
injuries can involve needles or other sharps contaminated with
bloodborne pathogens, such as HIV, HBV, or HCV.
(5) Since publication of the bloodborne pathogens standard
in 1991 there has been a substantial increase in the number
and assortment of effective engineering controls available to
employers. There is now a large body of research and data
concerning the effectiveness of newer engineering controls,
including safer medical devices.
(6) 396 interested parties responded to a Request for
Information (in this section referred to as the ‘‘RFI’’) conducted

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114 STAT. 1902

PUBLIC LAW 106–430—NOV. 6, 2000
by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 1998
on engineering and work practice controls used to eliminate
or minimize the risk of occupational exposure to bloodborne
pathogens due to percutaneous injuries from contaminated
sharps. Comments were provided by health care facilities,
groups representing healthcare workers, researchers, educational institutions, professional and industry associations,
and manufacturers of medical devices.
(7) Numerous studies have demonstrated that the use of
safer medical devices, such as needleless systems and sharps
with engineered sharps injury protections, when they are part
of an overall bloodborne pathogens risk-reduction program, can
be extremely effective in reducing accidental sharps injuries.
(8) In March 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention estimated that, depending on the type of device
used and the procedure involved, 62 to 88 percent of sharps
injuries can potentially be prevented by the use of safer medical
devices.
(9) The OSHA 200 Log, as it is currently maintained,
does not sufficiently reflect injuries that may involve exposure
to bloodborne pathogens in healthcare facilities. More than
98 percent of healthcare facilities responding to the RFI have
adopted surveillance systems in addition to the OSHA 200
Log. Information gathered through these surveillance systems
is commonly used for hazard identification and evaluation of
program and device effectiveness.
(10) Training and education in the use of safer medical
devices and safer work practices are significant elements in
the prevention of percutaneous exposure incidents. Staff
involvement in the device selection and evaluation process is
also an important element to achieving a reduction in sharps
injuries, particularly as new safer devices are introduced into
the work setting.
(11) Modification of the bloodborne pathogens standard
is appropriate to set forth in greater detail its requirement
that employers identify, evaluate, and make use of effective
safer medical devices.

SEC. 3. BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS STANDARD.

The bloodborne pathogens standard published at 29 CFR
1910.1030 shall be revised as follows:
(1) The definition of ‘‘Engineering Controls’’ (at 29 CFR
1910.1030(b)) shall include as additional examples of controls
the following: ‘‘safer medical devices, such as sharps with engineered sharps injury protections and needleless systems’’.
(2) The term ‘‘Sharps with Engineered Sharps Injury
Protections’’ shall be added to the definitions (at 29 CFR
1910.1030(b)) and defined as ‘‘a nonneedle sharp or a needle
device used for withdrawing body fluids, accessing a vein or
artery, or administering medications or other fluids, with a
built-in safety feature or mechanism that effectively reduces
the risk of an exposure incident’’.
(3) The term ‘‘Needleless Systems’’ shall be added to the
definitions (at 29 CFR 1910.1030(b)) and defined as ‘‘a device
that does not use needles for: (A) the collection of bodily fluids
or withdrawal of body fluids after initial venous or arterial
access is established; (B) the administration of medication or

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PUBLIC LAW 106–430—NOV. 6, 2000

114 STAT. 1903

fluids; or (C) any other procedure involving the potential for
occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens due to
percutaneous injuries from contaminated sharps’’.
(4) In addition to the existing requirements concerning
exposure control plans (29 CFR 1910.1030(c)(1)(iv)), the review
and update of such plans shall be required to also—
(A) ‘‘reflect changes in technology that eliminate or
reduce exposure to bloodborne pathogens’’; and
(B) ‘‘document annually consideration and implementation of appropriate commercially available and effective
safer medical devices designed to eliminate or minimize
occupational exposure’’.
(5) The following additional recordkeeping requirement
shall be added to the bloodborne pathogens standard at 29
CFR 1910.1030(h): ‘‘The employer shall establish and maintain
a sharps injury log for the recording of percutaneous injuries
from contaminated sharps. The information in the sharps injury
log shall be recorded and maintained in such manner as to
protect the confidentiality of the injured employee. The sharps
injury log shall contain, at a minimum—
‘‘(A) the type and brand of device involved in the
incident,
‘‘(B) the department or work area where the exposure
incident occurred, and
‘‘(C) an explanation of how the incident occurred.’’.
The requirement for such sharps injury log shall not apply
to any employer who is not required to maintain a log of
occupational injuries and illnesses under 29 CFR 1904 and
the sharps injury log shall be maintained for the period required
by 29 CFR 1904.6.
(6) The following new section shall be added to the
bloodborne pathogens standard: ‘‘An employer, who is required
to establish an Exposure Control Plan shall solicit input from
non-managerial employees responsible for direct patient care
who are potentially exposed to injuries from contaminated
sharps in the identification, evaluation, and selection of effective
engineering and work practice controls and shall document
the solicitation in the Exposure Control Plan.’’.

Records.

SEC. 4. EFFECT OF MODIFICATIONS.

The modifications under section 3 shall be in force until superseded in whole or in part by regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Labor under section 6(b) of the Occupational Safety and
Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 655(b)) and shall be enforced in
the same manner and to the same extent as any rule or regulation
promulgated under section 6(b).
SEC. 5. PROCEDURE AND EFFECTIVE DATE.

(a) PROCEDURE.—The modifications of the bloodborne pathogens
standard prescribed by section 3 shall take effect without regard
to the procedural requirements applicable to regulations promulgated under section 6(b) of the Occupational Safety and Health
Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 655(b)) or the procedural requirements
of chapter 5 of title 5, United States Code.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The modifications to the bloodborne
pathogens standard required by section 3 shall—
(1) within 6 months of the date of the enactment of this
Act, be made and published in the Federal Register by the

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Deadline.
Federal Register,
publication.

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114 STAT. 1904

PUBLIC LAW 106–430—NOV. 6, 2000
Secretary of Labor acting through the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration; and
(2) at the end of 90 days after such publication, take
effect.

Approved November 6, 2000.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 5178:
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 146 (2000):
Oct. 3, considered and passed House.
Oct. 26, considered and passed Senate.
WEEKLY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS, Vol. 36 (2000):
Nov. 6, Presidential statement.

Æ

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