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THINKING OF BUYING ...
or retracting catheters and needle-less IV systems — showed us the
gaps in our practices. We had room for improvement.
The committee members controlled the product evaluation and
selection process. Their reviews were based on the safety features
each product offered, how well and how easily the products and safety features worked, and how willingly they would use the products.
That last criteria carried particular weight, given the resistance that
physician preferences and OR culture can put up against change.
While the committee agreed that its final selections should be costeffective, cost wasn't the ultimate factor.
Committee members completed evaluation forms for each product
we tested, and these forms were kept, along with documentation of
the results and minutes of their meetings, as part of an OSHA-mandated exposure control plan.
When you decide to get proactive about sharps safety at your own
facility, consider the following guidelines to support the cause:
• review OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard and Needlestick
Safety and Prevention Act.
• review your current safety plan to assess the elements your sharps
safety plan and exposure control plan will need to address.
• appoint staff members to a safety plan development and product
selection committee, and ensure open communication with and
among them.
• identify and test sharps safety products annually.
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O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | D E C E M B E R 2012
