ASTM Revises Puncture Resistant Containers for Medical Needles, 'Sharps'
April 20, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS
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ASTM International Subcommittee F04.33 on Medical/Surgical Instruments is revising ASTM F2132 - Specification for Puncture Resistance of Materials Used in Containers for Discarded Medical Needles and Other Sharps to address accidental injury accidents to health care workers from needles and other medical "sharps."
Terry Grimmond, chair of the F2132 task group, said an estimated 30,000 health care workers suffer sharps injuries associated with containers every year. These injuries occur while depositing sharps into, or via sharps protruding from, penetrating through or bouncing out of sharps containers.
While the ASTM F2132 standard reduced incidents of needles piercing through container walls, pierced containers still account for approximately 600 sharps injuries to workers per year, according to ASTM.
Recent reviews of sharps container standards in other countries strengthened and increased the number of performance tests and inserted design requirements to help protect health care workers, experts said.
The subcommittee hopes that proposed revisions to ASTM F2132 will further strengthen the standard and contribute to a decrease in container-associated sharps injuries.
Subcommittee F04.33 is part of ASTM's Committee F04 on Medical and Surgical Materials and Devices.
Source: ASTM International.