A. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Needlestick Injury Prevention Act".

B. For purposes of the Needlestick Injury Prevention Act:

1. “Ambulance” means any ground, air or water vehicle approved by the State Commissioner of Health pursuant to the Oklahoma Emergency Response Systems Development Act and rules promulgated by the State Board of Health pursuant thereto when used to provide appropriate on-scene and enroute stabilization and emergency medical care;

2. "Bloodborne pathogens" means pathogenic microorganisms that are present in human blood and that can cause disease in humans including, but not limited to, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV);

3. "Committee" means the Needlestick Injury Prevention Committee;

4. “Department” means the State Department of Health;

5. "Engineered sharps injury protection" means:

a.a physical attribute built into a needle device used for withdrawing body fluids, accessing a vein or artery, or administering medications or other fluids, which effectively reduces the risk of an exposure incident through the use of mechanisms such as barrier creation, blunting, encapsulation, withdrawal, retraction, or other effective mechanisms, or

b.a physical attribute built into any other type of needle device, or into a nonneedle sharp, which effectively reduces the risk of an exposure incident;

6. “First responder” means an individual who performs emergency medical services on scene in accordance with the Oklahoma Emergency Response Systems Development Act and rules of the State Board of Health promulgated thereto;

7. “High exposure area” means an operating room, an ambulatory surgical center, an emergency room, an intensive care unit, an ambulance or an area or scene at which a first responder performs or provides emergency medical services;

8. "Needleless systems" means devices that do not utilize needles for:

a.the withdrawal of body fluids after initial venous or arterial access is established,

b.the administration of medication or fluids, and

c.any other procedure involving the potential for an exposure incident;

9. "Needlestick injury" means the parenteral introduction into the body of a health care worker of blood or other potentially infectious material by a hollow-bore needle or sharp instrument, including, but not limited to, needles, lancets, scalpels, or contaminated broken glass, during the performance of duties of such worker; and

10. "Sharps" means any objects used or encountered in a health care setting that can be reasonably anticipated to penetrate the skin or any other part of the body, and to result in an exposure incident, including, but not limited to, needle devices, scalpels, lancets, broken glass, broken capillary tubes, exposed ends of dental wires and dental knives, drills, and burs.

Added by Laws 2000, c. 297, § 1, emerg. eff. June 5, 2000.