Sharps Injury Rates Reported Among US Workers

Abstract

Objective To examine sharps injury (SI) rates among US workers treated in hospital emergency departments. Methods A national probability-based sample of approximately 67 US hospital emergency departments from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System—Occupational Supplement was used to examine annual national estimates of SI rates (number of injuries/10,000 full-time equivalents) for US workers from 2006 to 2020. Results Among the general US worker population, the 25- to 34-year age group experienced the highest annual SI rate. Health care industry workers experienced SI rates up to 16 times the rate of all US workers. Conclusion Younger age (≤34 years) is associated with increased SI risk. Tailored prevention efforts should be developed to address the specific needs of these workers, especially among health care workers. Continual occupational surveillance will maximize the health and safety of US workers.