The Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center says more than 80 percent of U.S. farmworkers have accidentally stuck themselves with a needle while vaccinating animals. A study in Australia published in 2009, showed around three quarters (75.3 percent) reported suffering at least one needle-stick injury (NSI) in the previous 12 months, while 58.9% reported suffering from at least one contaminated NSI during the previous 12 months. A 2002 WHO report for “all” health workers shows percutaneous exposure to infectious diseases each year at the approximate rate of 5.7%
Needle-stick injuries are real occupational hazards which fall under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) which requires employers to comply with hazard specific safety and health standards.
Source: Pork Network, September 2016.
In addition, Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act (often referred to as the General Duty Clause), states employers must provide employees with a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. OSHA has previously used the General Duty Clause to cite employers when employees experienced cuts, punctures and injections due to poor handling practices of needles and scalpels when processing piglets and administering treatments to pigs, according to the Pork Information Gateway
INSIGHTS: Industry consolidation and growth moves people around as frequently. Safety training is critical and is just as important to human health as preventative vaccination is to animals. Consider reviewing a safety topic at least once a month with employees. And don’t take chances with needles!