This study had three objectives: (a) to examine compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Bloodborne Pathogens (BBPs) Standard at eight correctional facilities, (b) to identify potential barriers to compliance, and (c) to discuss steps to address these barriers. Eight facilities of different sizes and locations were visited to examine employer adherence to 15 selected BBP risk reduction activities. Facility compliance was less than 50% for four activities: updating exposure control plans, implementing use of appropriate safer medical devices, soliciting employee input on selection of safer devices, and training medical staff when such devices are implemented. Inconsistent compliance may be due to difficulties in applying the standards in the correctional health care work setting. Any BBP training and health communication activities targeted to correctional health care workers should be tailored to the correctional facility setting.
ArmstrongG. L., WasleyA., SimardE. P., McQuillanG. M., KuhnertW. L., AlterM. J. (2002). The prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in the United States, 1999 through 2002. Annals of Internal Medicine, 144, 705–714.
2.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (1989). Guidelines for prevention of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B virus to health-care and public-safety workers: A response to P.L. 100-607 The Health Omnibus Programs Extension Act of 1988. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 38(S-6):3–37.
3.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2003). Prevention and control of infections with hepatitis viruses in correctional settings. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 52(RR01):1–33.
4.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2004). Workbook for designing, implementing, and evaluating a sharps injury prevention program. Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. http://www.cdc.gov/sharpssafety/resources.html.
5.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2007). 2007 Guideline for isolation precautions: Preventing transmission of infectious agents in healthcare settings. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/gl_isolation_standard.html.
6.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2008). HIV prevalence estimates—United States, 2006. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 57, 1073–1076.
7.
FoxR. K., CurrieS. L., EvansJ., WrightT. L., ToblerL., PhelpsB., Page-ShaferK. A. (2005). Hepatitis C virus infection among prisoners in the California state correctional system. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 41, 177–186.
8.
GershonR. M., Green-McKenzieJ., SwetzA. (2002). Infectious disease risk in correctional facility-based health care workers. Clinics in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2, 519–536.
9.
GershonR. M., KarkashianC. D., VlahovD., KummerL., KastingC., Green-McKenzieJ., MartinL. (1999). Compliance with universal precautions in correctional health care facilities. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 41, 181–189.
10.
GershonR. M., MitchellC., ShermanM., VlahovD., LearsM. K., FelknorS., LubelczykR. A. (2005). Hepatitis B vaccination in correctional health care workers. American Journal of Infection Control, 33, 510–518.
11.
GershonR. M., QureshiK. A., GurneyC. A., RosenJ. D., HoganE. K. (2002). Bloodborne pathogen exposure risk for non-hospital based healthcare workers. Clinics in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2, 497–518.
12.
GershonR. M., QureshiK. A., PogorzelskaM., RosenJ., GebbieK. M., Brandt-RaufP. W., ShermanM. F. (2007). Non-hospital based registered nurses and the risk of bloodborne pathogen exposure. Industrial Health, 45, 695–704.
13.
GershonR. M., ShermanM., MitchellC., VlahovD., ErwinM. J., LearsM. K., AlterM. J. (2007). Prevalence and risk factors for bloodborne exposure and infection in correctional healthcare workers. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 28, 24–30.
14.
Green-McKenzieJ., GershonR. M., KarkashianC. (2001). Infection control practices among correctional healthcare workers: Effect of management attitudes and availability of protective equipment and engineering controls. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 22, 555–559.
15.
HaltmeierP., HallN. E., BoeschR. (1991). Potential risk of occupational exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus and the hepatitis B virus among correctional workers. Trenton: New Jersey Department of Health, Occupational Health Service Division of Occupational and Environmental Health.
16.
MacalinoG. E., VlahovD., Sanford-ColbyS., PatelS., SabinK., SalasC., RichJ. D. (2004). Prevalence and incidence of HIV, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus infections among males in Rhode Island prisons. American Journal of Public Health, 94, 1218–1223.
17.
MaruschakL. M. (2008). HIV in prisons 2006 (NCJ 222179). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics.
18.
McQuillanG. M., ColemanP. J., Kruszon-MoranD., MoyerL. A., LambertS. B., MargolisH. S. (1999). Prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection in the United States: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 1976 through 1994. American Journal of Public Health, 89, 14–18.
19.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (1998). Selecting, evaluating, and using sharps disposal containers (DHHS [NIOSH] Publication No. 97-111). Cincinnati, OH: Author.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2001). Revision to OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, technical background and summary. Retrieved from http://www.osha.gov/needlesticks/needlefact.html.
24.
SpauldingA., GreeneC., DavidsonK., SchneidermannM., RichJ. (1999). Hepatitis C in state correctional facilities. Preventive Medicine, 28, 92–100.
25.
StephanJ. J. (2001). Census of jails, 1999 (NCJ 186633). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics.
26.
StephanJ. J. (2008). Census of state and federal correctional facilities, 2005 (NCJ 222182). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics.
VlahovD., NelsonK. E., QuinnT. C., KendigN. (1993). Prevalence and incidence of hepatitis C virus infection among male inmates in Maryland. European Journal of Epidemiology, 9, 566–569.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
