The number of needlestick/sharps-related skin puncture wounds suffered by health care workers in the United States has fallen since a federal safety law took effect in 2001, researchers report.

The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act (NSPA) requires employers to provide safety-engineered devices to employees who are at risk for exposure to bloodborne pathogens and to let frontline workers have a say in selecting these devices.

Employers must also review their exposure-control plans at least once a year to ensure they keep pace with advances in sharps-safety technology, and must keep sharps-injury logs that contain required details about injuries.

Researchers found a 38% decline in these skin-puncture wounds after 2001 law took effect. http://1.usa.gov/zWpeys [MedlinePlus News]

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