Blood and body fluid (BBF) exposures pose major health risks to healthcare workers (HCWs) because of potential transmission of diseases such as hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and HIV. Since January 2008 WorkSafeBC regulations have mandated the adoption of safety engineered medical devices (SEMDs) in all healthcare facilities to reduce the potential for BBF exposures.

The ‘Safety Engineered Medical Devices Activation Study – The BC Experience’ was conducted in six participating hospitals in three health authorities (Fraser Health Authority (FH), Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA), and Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA)) from 2009 to 2011. The primary objectives were to assess: 1) the number of SEMDs relative to the number of conventional (non-safety-engineered) medical devices used in participating hospitals; 2) the activation rates of SEMDs; and 3) nurses’ physicians’, and phlebotomists’ views regarding the risks associated with exposure to BBF with the use of SEMDs.

Link to the complete WorkSafeBC report – coming soon!

This research is supported by WorkSafeBC
The Workers’ Compensation Board of BC