Who is responsible for establishing and maintaining the sharps injury log?

Who is responsible for establishing and maintaining the sharps injury log?

• A. The employee
• B. The supervisor
• C. The employer
• D. The external auditor

Answer: (C)

The person responsible for establishing and maintaining the sharps injury log is the employer. This requirement comes from OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, which places the duty on the employer to create a formal log of all sharps-related injuries and keep it up to date. The log collects details such as when the injury occurred, the device involved, where it happened, how the incident occurred, and the outcome, and it must be retained for the legally specified period. Having the log centralized with the employer allows the organization to analyze trends, identify problematic devices or tasks, and implement corrective actions to prevent future injuries. Employees should report incidents so they can be recorded, but the responsibility for establishing, maintaining, and safeguarding the log rests with the employer. External auditors may review the log, but they do not own or maintain it.

The person responsible for establishing and maintaining the sharps injury log is the employer. This requirement comes from OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, which places the duty on the employer to create a formal log of all sharps-related injuries and keep it up to date. The log collects details such as when the injury occurred, the device involved, where it happened, how the incident occurred, and the outcome, and it must be retained for the legally specified period. Having the log centralized with the employer allows the organization to analyze trends, identify problematic devices or tasks, and implement corrective actions to prevent future injuries. Employees should report incidents so they can be recorded, but the responsibility for establishing, maintaining, and safeguarding the log rests with the employer. External auditors may review the log, but they do not own or maintain it.