Department of Infection Control & Prevention

Under both federal and state laws all healthcare institutions are obliged to preferentially employ safety-designed needles and other sharps.  Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) has undertaken an extensive review of available products, including consultation and trials by our users, in order to select the best products as we work toward compliance.  Our goal is to ensure the safety of our employees through the use of safety devices designed to reduce the risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens via needle stick or device injury.  Safety devices should be used for all procedures in all patients.  In the event a device is needed for which there is no safety alternative or the use of the safety device is felt to impede patient care, VUMC personnel may apply to the VUMC OSHA Waiver Committee for a specific waiver.  Waiver application can be found at the folloing link: https://qps.mc.vanderbilt.edu/waiver/index.php 

Please bear in mind that all U.S. hospitals face the same circumstances.  Thus, it is expected that the applicant will survey several similar institutions to see how they have addressed the specific problem in question.  This survey should include a total of 5 teaching hospitals and should be included in the application.  We are aware that those are strenuous conditions, but please understand that the institution is legally obliged to put healthcare worker safety first.