Health Care Group Supports Bipartisan Needlestick Injury Bill

Sept. 20, 2000
The Service Employees International Union is supporting bipartisan\r\nlegislation introduced in the Senate yesterday to protect health care\r\nworkers from needlestick injuries.

Less than a week after backing a similar bill in the House, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), supports bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate yesterday to protect health care workers from needlestick injuries.

The bill was introduced by Sen. Jim Jeffords, R-Vt., chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., chair of the Employment, Safety and Training Subcommittee, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., member of the HELP committee, and Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the minority whip.

Introduction of the Senate bill enhances the chance that Congress will be able to send a bill to President Clinton to sign before the year comes to a close.

"The bill''s sponsors have put the lives of health care workers above partisan politics," said Andrew Stern, SEIU president. "SEIU commends the sponsors for their leadership on this issue."

SEIU members have participated in the fight for safe needles, winning legislation in 15 states.

Now they are hoping to help pass the Jeffords-Enzi and Ballenger-Owens bills to extend safeguards to health care workers in all 50 states.

"I watched five of my co-workers at San Francisco General Hospital become infected with HIV because of unsafe needles," said Lorraine Thiebaud, registered nurse and union officer for SEIU Local 790. "This bill would help prevent other health care workers from suffering like they did."

Both the House and Senate bills would strengthen OSHA''s standard on bloodborne pathogens to require greater utilization of newer, safer devices in health facilities.

They would also require the involvement of workers who provide direct patient care in determining which safer needles and sharps to use in their workplaces, and more consistent documentation of all needlestick injuries from potentially contaminated devices.

An estimated 600,000 to 800,000 needlestick injuries occur each year -- 2,000 every day.

According to SEIU, the U.S. health care system is spending between $300 million to a half a billion dollars each year on testing alone, not counting the cost of treatment, which can amount to $1 million per case.

by Virginia Sutcliffe

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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