Okla. Stat. tit. 63, § 63-1-539.1

A. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Needlestick

Injury Prevention Act".

B. For purposes of the Needlestick Injury Prevention Act:

1. “Ambulance” means any ground, air or water vehicle approved

by the State Commissioner of Health pursuant to the Oklahoma

Emergency Response Systems Development Act and rules promulgated by

the State Board of Health pursuant thereto when used to provide

appropriate on-scene and enroute stabilization and emergency medical

care;

2. "Bloodborne pathogens" means pathogenic microorganisms that

are present in human blood and that can cause disease in humans

including, but not limited to, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C

virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV);

3. "Committee" means the Needlestick Injury Prevention

Committee;

4. “Department” means the State Department of Health;

5. "Engineered sharps injury protection" means:

a. a physical attribute built into a needle device used

for withdrawing body fluids, accessing a vein or

artery, or administering medications or other fluids,

which effectively reduces the risk of an exposure

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 63. Public Health and Safety Page 233

incident through the use of mechanisms such as barrier

creation, blunting, encapsulation, withdrawal,

retraction, or other effective mechanisms, or

b. a physical attribute built into any other type of

needle device, or into a nonneedle sharp, which

effectively reduces the risk of an exposure incident;

6. “First responder” means an individual who performs emergency

medical services on scene in accordance with the Oklahoma Emergency

Response Systems Development Act and rules of the State Board of

Health promulgated thereto;

7. “High exposure area” means an operating room, an ambulatory

surgical center, an emergency room, an intensive care unit, an

ambulance or an area or scene at which a first responder performs or

provides emergency medical services;

8. "Needleless systems" means devices that do not utilize

needles for:

a. the withdrawal of body fluids after initial venous or

arterial access is established,

b. the administration of medication or fluids, and

c. any other procedure involving the potential for an

exposure incident;

9. "Needlestick injury" means the parenteral introduction into

the body of a health care worker of blood or other potentially

infectious material by a hollow-bore needle or sharp instrument,

including, but not limited to, needles, lancets, scalpels, or

contaminated broken glass, during the performance of duties of such

worker; and

10. "Sharps" means any objects used or encountered in a health

care setting that can be reasonably anticipated to penetrate the

skin or any other part of the body, and to result in an exposure

incident, including, but not limited to, needle devices, scalpels,

lancets, broken glass, broken capillary tubes, exposed ends of

dental wires and dental knives, drills, and burs.