Hospitals Slow to Use New Needles; Measure to Protect Workers Often Ignored

One year after the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act was passed unanimously by both houses of Congress and signed by President Clinton, many of the nation's hospitals are still not in compliance with it. The law requires medical facilities nationwide to provide employees with syringes and blood-drawing devices incorporating safety features that retract, blunt or cover needles after they are used. According to one government study, such devices have been shown to cut accidental needle injuries by as much as 80 percent, dramatically reducing the transmission of diseases like HIV and hepatitis.

"Earlier this year, many of our surveyors found that less than half of the hospitals they visited were even aware of the change in the law," said Carol Patterson, a consultant with the powerful Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. One exception is California, whose needle safety law was enacted in 1998 and became a model for the federal legislation. Part of the problem, experts say, is the wide variety of needle devices that must be replaced, together with the retraining necessary for employees.

After the US law took effect last April, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) gave facilities an extra 90 days to implement it, then began enforcing the law. Since July, 34 facilities have been cited for failing to comply. But Bill Borwegan, occupational health director for the Service Employees International Union, which represents the largest number of health care workers in the nation, criticized OSHA for not publishing a "compliance directive" telling inspectors how to enforce the regulations. Melody Sands, OSHA's compliance director, said the directive is undergoing final review and will soon be released. That delay endangers the lives of workers every day, Borwegan charged.

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