Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for bloodborne pathogen (BBP) exposure violations at one worksite can exceed $160,000. To reduce fines and protect employees from the spread of BBPs, Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ: CTAS), a leader in first-aid and safety, today identified essential steps for reducing the impact of a BBP emergency.

An employee at a NJ surgical center who was stuck with a contaminated needle was not counseled about what to do in the wake of the injury, was not tested in a timely manner for disease and was not provided with appropriate medicine to help him avoid contracting a disease, according to OSHA inspectors, who have cited the Health East Ambulatory Surgical Center for 10 serious violations.

Although staff at New England Hematology/Oncology Associates PC raised the alarm about the hazardous needle system in use at the facility, the Newton, Mass. medical service provider continued to use a system that was not engineered to reduce the risk of injury, thereby exposing its employees to a variety of biohazards, according to OSHA.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a joint safety communication with OSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) which strongly encourages surgeons and other healthcare professionals to use safer, blunt-tip suture needles instead of standard sharps.

The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act (NSPA) signed into law in 2000 was followed by a 38% drop in sharps injuries among hospital employees, according to a new study reported on in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has released details of a project aimed at insuring that that bloodborne pathogens exposure control plans are effectively implemented in private dental offices and dental clinics.

Writers on the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Science Blog are using a movie release as an opportunity to remind the health care industry about NIOSH's Stop Sticks Campaign.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics has released detailed data on nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work in 2010.

OSHA is suing a Massachusets dentist who allegedly terminated an employee for raising concerns about contaminated needle disposal.