Rhode Island General Laws 23-1.11-8. Sharps injury log
To serve as a tool in identifying high risk areas and evaluating devices, a sharps injury log will be established and maintained by the employer. The log will be for percutaneous injuries from contaminated sharps. The information in the sharps injury log shall be recorded and maintained in such manner as to protect the confidentiality of the injured employee. The sharps injury log shall contain, at a minimum: (1) the type and brand of device involved in the incident, (2) the department work area where the exposure incident occurred, and (3) an explanation of how the incident occurred. The sharps injury log will be maintained for a period of five (5) years.
History of Section.
P.L. 2001, ch. 372, § 1; P.L. 2001, ch. 382, § 1.
Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 23-1.11-8
- Employer: means those individuals or corporations with employees who have the potential to be exposed to blood-borne pathogens through a needlestick or other contaminated sharps;
(2) "Engineering controls" means controls including sharps disposal containers, self-sheathing needles, safer medical devices such as sharps with engineered sharps injury protections and needleless systems that isolate or remove the blood-borne pathogen hazard from the workplace;
(3) "Exposure control plan" is a document, which shall be produced and reviewed and updated at least annually and whenever necessary to reflect new or modified tasks, and procedures, which affect occupational exposure and reflect employee positions concerning occupational exposure;
(4) "Needleless system" means a device that does not use needles for: (i) the collection of bodily fluids or withdrawal of body fluids after initial venous or arterial access is established; (ii) the administration of medication or fluids; or (iii) any other procedure involving the potential for occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens due to percutaneous injuries from contaminated sharps;
(5) "Sharps with engineered sharps injury protections" means a non-needle sharps or a needle device used for withdrawing body fluids, accessing a vein or artery, or administering medications or other fluids with a built-in safety feature or mechanism that effectively reduces the risk of an exposure incident. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-1.11-1