Notes From the field: Why can’t I re-use the vacutainer tube holder?
During my OSHA inspections last week, I witnessed several phlebotomists removing contaminated needles from vacutainer tube holders. The OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard [29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(2)(vii)(A)] addresses the “prohibition against the removal of contaminated needles from blood tube holders following a blood drawing procedure.”
“OSHA has concluded the best practice for prevention of needlestick injuries following phlebotomy procedures is the use of a sharps injury protection (SESIP) (e.g.; safety needle) attached to the blood tube holder and the immediate disposal of the entire unit after each patient’s blood is drawn,” according to an October 2003 OSHA safety and health bulletin.
Removing the double ended needle from the tube holder clearly puts the employee at risk for a needlestick. Your Exposure Control Plan should include a policy to not bend, break, or remove needles from a syringe or vacutainer tube holder. Using the “clip-off” feature of a sharps container or the “click-off” mechanism of the older vacutainer tube holders, should be prohibited.
Keep in mind, your contracted reference laboratory should provide your office with safety engineered medical devices.
Do you like these “Notes from the field” posts? Click here for the category archive.
« A new way to prevent hepatitis C? | Home | Think outside the box when disposing of broken slides »
-
Categories
- Ask the Expert—Bloodborne Pathogens
- Ask the expert—General OSHA
- Ask the Expert—Hazard Communication
- Bloodborne Pathogens
- Emergency Action Plans
- Featured
- First Aid
- General Safety and Health
- Hazardous Waste
- Infection Control
- Lab Safety
- Needlesticks & Sharps Injuries
- Notes from the field
- OSHA – Citations & Fines
- OSHA – General
- Pandemic Influenza
- Popular
- Uncategorized
- Waste Management
- Weekly Poll Questions
-
Archives
-
Feeds
Kathy Rooker
Kathy Rooker is the safety officer and owner of Columbus Healthcare & Safety Consultants, Canal Winchester, OH (krookerchsc@gmail.com or 614-833-9092). Rooker has more than 35 years experience working in the healthcare field and currently provides OSHA and CLIA consulting and inspections for physician practices and conducts OSHA annual training seminars in and around Central Ohio. In her "Notes from the Field" posts, she shares real life OSHA compliance issues and offers solutions to these sometimes complicated situations.
Kathy has written 19 posts.
Comments
Great useful information.
I recently went to a LabCorps lab in Virginia that did this same thing, and reused the holder from patient to patient without any sterilization or decontamination. Is it possible that patients could contract a blood-borne pathogen with this practice?
Though not within its purview, OSHA does reference patient safety in “Re-use of blood tube holders” letter of interpretation. See Advance/Laboratory, p. 70, January 2000.
Thanks, David. Ugh. Hope that’s a SMALL risk indeed. Bet those labs are counting on it to be “difficult to trace” as OSHA suggests. Should I be tested in a bit for bloodborne pathogens, or is that extreme?
Whether you should get tested or not is a medical question best arrived at in consultation with your physician. APIC provides a good patient guide for questions to ask when you have concerns about the infection control practices in ambulatory settings. See APIC urges patients to inquire about IC practices, for more information.
Leave a Comment