HB 635 -- Exposure Control for Blood-borne Pathogens

Co-Sponsors:  Barry, Kennedy, Green (15), Liese

This bill requires the Department of Health to adopt a blood--
borne pathogen standard governing the occupational exposure of
public employees to blood and other infectious materials.  The
bill:

(1)  Requires the department to develop a standard that is as
prescriptive as the standard developed by the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).  The standard must be
adopted no later than 6 months after the bill's passage.  The
requirements for the standard are specified;

(2)  Defines terms, including "public employee," "blood-borne
pathogens," "sharps injury," "engineered sharps injury
protection," and "needleless system";

(3)  Requires that an effective written exposure control plan
contain a provision which ensures that all frontline health care
workers are trained in the use of all engineering controls;

(4)  Requires the establishment of an evaluation committee and
specifies the members and duties of the committee;

(5)  Requires the department to consider additional measures to
prevent exposure injuries.  The department is also required to
compile and maintain a list of needleless systems and sharps
with engineered sharps injury protection;

(6)  Requires the department to issue an annual report on the
use of needle safety technology to the Governor, State Auditor,
President Pro Tem of the Senate, Speaker of the House of
Representatives, and the Technical Advisory Committee on the
Quality of Patient Care and Nursing Practices by February 1 of
each year.  The report will be available to the public on the
department's web site by February 15 of each year; and

(7)  Contains a penalty provision which subjects an employer to
a reduction or loss in state funding for violating provisions of
the bill.

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated September 13, 2001 at 2:03 pm