Safer Needles

Amendments to needlestick rules a positive step but wider coverage still lacking

October 2, 2008 The Ministry of Labour’s announcement Oct. 1 that needle safety measures have been extended to cover additional health care workplaces still leaves thousands of workers across Ontario vulnerable to possible injuries and illness.

“We’re very satisfied that Minister Peter Fonseca has made the use of safety-engineered needles mandatory in long-term care homes, laboratories, specimen collection centres and psychiatric facilities by April 1, 2009,” said Patty Rout, First Vice-President / Treasurer of OPSEU. “It’s a move that we have been aggressively advocating for some time.

“Our concern, however, is that the amended regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act still do not move fast enough to cover all workplaces where there is a risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens.”

OPSEU and other unions have been in the forefront of a public campaign to protect health care workers and others, such as those who work in emergency medical services, home care, doctors’ offices and correctional facilities, from needlestick injuries and illness. OPSEU’s position with the Ministry has always been that changes to the regulations should occur simultaneously to cover all workers at risk.

Rout said the Ministry’s deadline of 2010 to cover these additional health care and correctional workers puts them at unnecessary risk to injury and illness.

The union has also taken the position that regulations should be amended so that the term “safety engineered needles” applies to all medical sharps and sharp injuries – not just hollow bore needles.

More information: Lisa McCaskell OPSEU Sr. Health & Safety Officer 1-800-268-7376 ext 8772

Joint union submission on needle safety

July 15, 2008 Recommendations from OPSEU and allied unions on extending the scope of the Needle Safety Regulation in the Occupational Health and Safety Act. more...

November 27, 2007 Materials for members to participate in the next stage of the safe sharps campaign.

OPSEU members and allies continue to push for amendments to the Safe Sharps regulation and promises made by the Liberals prior to the 2007 election.

The new regulation was announced in Aug. 2007 and will come into force in the hospital sector in Sept. 2008. Attached is a copy of the regulation and also copies of letters (Oct.11/07) to Premier McGuinty, Labour minister Steve Peters and Health Minister George Smitherman from the Alliance for Sharps Safety. OPSEU is a member of the Alliance for Sharps Safety along with ONA and SEIU. OPSEU and allies say that although the new regulation is helpful, much more needs to be done, especially in workplaces not covered by the regulation.

On Oct. 11, the alliance wrote to the provincial government to commend the new regulation and make a request for three amendments: to broaden the regulation to cover more devices than simply hollow-bore needles; to ensure that employer will replace all medical sharps with safety engineered sharps; and, to indicate within the regulation when it will be applied to healthcare workplaces other than hospitals.

On Oct. 31, the alliance wrote again to the government to ensure that workers in all health care settings were covered under the regulations at the same time.