Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article II, Section 15 provides: 
“The State shall protect and promote the right of health of the people and 
instill health consciousness among them.” 
The Constitution, Article II, Section 18 further provides: 
“The State affirms labor as a primary social economic force. It shall 
protect the rights of workers and promote their welfare.” 
Health workers are constantly exposed to the risk of acquiring deadly diseases such 
as hepatitis and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by bloodborne 
pathogens. These diseases can be transmitted to healthcare workers who are 
exposed to sharp-related injuries when caring for patients. 
Considering the important role of health workers in keeping our citizens healthy, the 
legislature needs to pass measures that will protect them from occupational health 
risks that will endanger their lives. 
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
November 10, 2022
2:54 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
TO REQUIRE THE SECRETARIES OF HEALTH AND LABOR TO 
ISSUE REGULATIONS TO ELIMINATE OR MINIMIZE THE SIGNIFICANT RISK 
OF NEEDLESTICK INJURY TO HEALTHCARE WORKERS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be cited as the “Healthcare Worker 
Needlestick Prevention Act.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is the policy of the State to: 
(A)
Protect and promote the right of health of the people and instill health 
consciousness among them; and 
(B)
Protect the rights of workers and promote their welfare. 
Harmonizing these two policies, the State clearly has the role of protecting the health 
of the people, particularly the workers, in specific job-related risks. 
SECTION 3. Definitions. – For purposes of this Act, the term: 
(A)
“Bloodborne pathogens” means pathogenic microorganisms that are present in 
human blood and can cause disease in humans.  These pathogens include 
hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and human immunodeficiency virus; 
(B)
“Contaminated” means the presence of the reasonably anticipated presence of 
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blood or other potentially infectious materials on an item or surface; 
 
(C) “Direct care healthcare worker” means an employee responsible for direct 
patient care with potential occupational exposure to sharps related injuries;  
 
(D) “Employer” means each employer having an employee with occupational 
exposure to human blood or other material potentially containing bloodborne 
pathogens;  
 
(E) “Engineered sharps injury protection” means – 
(1) 
A physical attribute built into a needle device used for withdrawing body 
fluids, accessing a vein or artery, or administering medications or other 
fluids that effectively reduces the risk of exposure incident by a mechanism 
such as a barrier creation. Blunting, encapsulation, withdrawal, retraction, 
destruction, or other effective mechanisms; or 
(2) 
A physical attribute built into any type of needle device, or into a 
non-needle sharp, which effectively reduces the risk of an exposure 
incident; 
 
(F) 
“Needleless system” means a device that does not use needles for – 
(1) 
The withdrawal of body fluids after initial venous or arterial access is 
established;  
(2) 
The administration of medication or fluids; and  
(3) 
Any other procedure involving the potential for an exposure incident; 
 
(G) “Sharp” means any objects used or encountered in a healthcare 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, scalpel, lancets, broken gals, broken capillary tubes, exposed ends of 
dental wires and dental knives, drills and burs; 
 
(H) “Sharps injury” means any injury caused by a sharp, including cuts, abrasions, 
or needlesticks; and 
 


 
 
(I) 
“Sharps injury log” means a written or electronic record satisfying the 
requirements of Section 4.  
 
SECTION 4. Requirements. –  
(A)  Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. – Except as provided in paragraph (B) the 
Secretary of Health and the Secretary of Labor, shall prescribe the bloodborne 
pathogens standard to require that: 
(1) 
Employers utilize needleless systems and sharps with engineered sharps 
injury protections in their work sites to prevent the spread of bloodborne 
pathogens; and  
(2) 
To assist employers in meeting the above requirement, non-managerial 
direct healthcare workers of employers participate in the identification and 
evaluation of needleless systems and sharps with engineered sharps 
injury protections. 
(B)  Exception. – The bloodborne pathogens standard requirements of paragraph (A) 
shall apply to any employer, except where the employer demonstrates, to the 
Secretary's satisfaction, that –   
(1) 
There are circumstances in the employer's work facility in which the 
needleless systems and sharps with engineered sharps injury protections 
do not promote employee safety, interfere with patient safety, or interfere 
with the success of a medical procedure; or  
(2) 
The needleless systems and sharps with engineered sharps injury 
protections required are not commercially available to the employer. 
(C)  Exposure Plan Control. – The employer shall include in their exposure plan 
control an effective procedure for identifying and selecting existing needleless 
systems and sharps injury protecting and other methods of preventing 
bloodborne pathogens exposure. 
(D)  Sharps Injury Log. – The employer shall maintain a separate contaminated 
sharps injury log containing the following information, to the extent such 
information is known to the employer, with regard to each exposure incident: 
(1) 
The date and time of the exposure incident; 
(2) 
The type and brand of sharp involved in the exposure incident; 
(3) 
The description of the exposure incident which shall include – 
(a) 
The job classification of the exposed employee; 


 
 
(b) 
The department or work area where the exposure incident occurred;  
(c) 
The procedure that the exposed employee was performing at the 
time of the incident;  
(d) 
How the incident occurred; 
(e) 
The body part involved in the exposure incident;  
(f) 
If the sharp had engineered sharp injury protections, whether the 
protective mechanism was activated, and whether the injury occurred 
before the protective mechanism was activated, during the activation 
of the mechanism, or after activation of the mechanism, if applicable; 
and whether the employee received training on how to use the device 
before use, and a brief description of the training.  
(g) 
If the sharp had no engineered sharps injury protections, the injured 
employee’s opinion as to whether and how such a mechanism could 
have prevented the injury, as well as basis for the opinion; and  
(h) 
The employee’s opinion about whether any other engineering, 
administrative, or work practice control could have prevented the 
injury as well as the basis for the opinion.  
(E)  Training. – A requirement that all direct care healthcare workers shall be 
provided adequate training on the use of all needleless systems and sharps with 
engineered sharps injury protections which they may be required to use. 
 
SECTION 5. Clearing House on Safer Needle Technology. –  
(A)  In General. – The Department of Health and the Department of Labor and 
Employment shall establish and maintain a national database on existing 
needleless systems and sharps with engineered sharps injury protections. 
 
(B)  Evaluation Criteria. – The Secretary of Health and the Secretary of Labor and 
Employment shall develop a set of evaluation criteria for use by employers, 
employees, and other persons when they are evaluating and selecting 
needleless systems and sharps with engineered sharps injury protections. 
 
(C)  Training. – The Secretary of Health and the Secretary of Labor and Employment 
shall develop a model training curriculum to train employers, employees, and 
other persons on the process of evaluating needleless systems and sharps with 


 
 
engineered sharps injury protection and shall, to the extent feasible, provide 
technical assistance to persons who request such assistance. 
 
(D)  Monitoring. – The Secretary of Health and the Secretary of Labor and 
Employment shall establish a national system to collect comprehensive data on 
needlestick injuries to healthcare workers, including data mechanisms to 
analyze and evaluate prevention interventions in relation to needlestick injury 
occurrence. In carrying out its duties under this paragraph, the Department of 
Health and the Department of Labor and Employment shall have access to 
information recorded by employers on the sharps injury log as required by 
Section 4.  
 
SECTION 6. Appropriation. – To carry out the provisions of this Act, such amount as 
may be necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury. 
Thereafter, the amount necessary for the continuous operation of the Act shall be 
included in the annual appropriation of the Department of Health and the Department 
of Labor and Employment. 
 
SECTION 7. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or provision not otherwise affected shall 
remain valid and subsisting.  
 
SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. – Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to 
or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or 
amended accordingly.  
 
SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.  
 
Approved,