House Vote on Needlestick Bill Scheduled for Today

Oct. 3, 2000
Momentum is building in Congress for bipartisan legislation to\r\nprotect health care workers from deadly needlestick injuries that can\r\nspread HIV and Hepatitis C.

Momentum is building in Congress for bipartisan legislation to protect health care workers from deadly needlestick injuries that can spread HIV and Hepatitis C.

There are currently 70 House sponsors for the Ballenger-Owens bill (H.R. 5178), which will be voted on today.

The sponsors include 45 Republicans, 33 Democrats and one Independent.

"The bipartisan support for this bill is very encouraging," said Andrew Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents more than 710,000 health care workers. "Passage of this bill would be an important achievement that would put the lives of health care workers above partisan politics."

The bill would strengthen OSHA''s standard on bloodborne pathogens to require the use of newer, safer devices in health facilities.

It 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.

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

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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