Reps. Kowall, Hooker, Hovey-Wright and Slavens offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 11.    

            A resolution to encourage the inclusion of syringe and scalpel safety scores in healthcare facility accreditation audits.

            Whereas, Healthcare workers face many occupational risks as they care for sick and injured persons.  Sharps-related injuries, from needles or scalpels, are the most significant of these risks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 385,000 sharps-related injuries occur annually among health care workers in hospitals in the United States. A healthcare worker who is accidently pricked by a needle or scalpel may be exposed to dangerous bloodborne pathogens, such as HIV, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C; and

            Whereas, Innovative safety technologies have been developed to protect healthcare workers and others from sharps-related injuries. Safety syringes contain a shield over the needle or retract the needle into the syringe barrel after use. Safety scalpels have protective sheaths to guard against accidental cuts. Healthcare workers are particularly susceptible to a sharps injury when used scalpel blades are removed and replaced with new ones. Single-handed scalpel blade removers allow users to safely remove blades from the handle, instead of using fingers or forceps; and

            Whereas, A healthcare facility's use of sharps-related safety technology can be evaluated using "safety scores." The Syringe Safety Score could be determined by calculating the portion of a healthcare facility's annual syringe purchases, which are comprised of safety syringes.  A scalpel safety score can be determined by comparing annual purchases of safety scalpels and single-handed scalpel blade removers with the healthcare facility's total annual scalpel blade purchases; and

            Whereas, Assessing healthcare facilities' utilization of sharps-related safety technologies can contribute to staff and patient safety. Syringes cause 3.2 injuries per one hundred thousand purchased and scalpels cause 662 injuries per one hundred thousand purchased. Helping healthcare facilities reduce these numbers will help promote a culture of safety for healthcare workers and patients; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we encourage the inclusion of syringe and scalpel safety scores in healthcare facility accreditation audits; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Michigan Department of Community Health, the Bureau of Health Facilities Licensing in the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, and all bodies conducting healthcare facility accreditation in Michigan.