OSHA addresses OR safety: Blunt-tip suture needles reduce injury risk to surgical personnel

Occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens may occur when employees receive an injury that penetrates their skin (percutaneous injury). In the surgical setting, sharp-tip suture needles are the leading cause of percutaneous injuries (PIs). PIs caused by suture needles not only injure surgical staff – surgeons, nurses, techs, students, and others - but also represent a patient safety issue since patients are at risk of exposure to injured surgical staff's blood. One alternative to sharp-tip suture needles is blunt-tip suture needles which may be used to suture less-dense tissue, including muscle and fascia. A CDC evaluation of suture use in gynecologic surgery found that the use of blunt-tip suture needles was associated with statistically significant reductions in PI rates. The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has issued a position statement supporting “universal institutional adoption” of blunt-tip suture needles for suturing muscle and fascia. This presentation by OSHA staff will describe the hazard of sharp-tip suture needles, present evidence of the effectiveness of blunt-tip suture needles in decreasing PIs to surgical personnel, and emphasize OSHA's requirement in the Bloodborne Pathogens standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) to use safer medical devices – in this case, blunt-tip suture needles - where clinically appropriate.