This standard is issued under the fixed designation F2878; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A superscript epsilon (ε) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

INTRODUCTION

Occupational exposures to bloodborne pathogens (BBP) caused by needlestick injuries are a concern for healthcare professionals, law enforcement officers, first responders, and others.

Transmission of diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C (Hep C) as a result of percutaneous needlestick injuries have been documented worldwide. These diseases can lead to life-long chronic health problems and possibly death.

Work practice safety procedures, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, aprons, and sleeves, are used to diminish the risk of occupational exposure to BBPs through needlestick injury.

The purpose of this standard is to measure relative hypodermic needle puncture resistance offered by various materials based on the conditions specified within the standard. This standard does not attempt to simulate all use conditions. A number of variables which impact puncture resistance are not addressed by this standard. For example, stiffness of backing materials, presence of lubricants, and tension on the specimen may all impact puncture resistance but are not considered by this standard.

This standard defines three common hypodermic needles to evaluate puncture resistance. Through development of this standard, it has been observed that needle diameter has an effect on puncture resistance. Therefore, needles of various diameters have been specified. Users of this method may specify testing with one or more of the needles defined within the standard.

The hypodermic needles referenced have been selected with consideration to three main points:

(1)	As needle gauge increases, the load required to puncture materials taken from commonly available hypodermic needle-resistant PPE increases. The performance is not linear and therefore relatively large-gauge (21 G) and small-gauge (28 G) needles are provided to better understand a material’s performance against one end of the spectrum or the other.
(2)	Certain end-use applications are concerned with protection from either large-gauge needles or small-gauge needles. For example, police officers searching suspected intravenous drug users are most commonly at risk of injury from fine-gauge needles (28 G), but not large-gauge needles. Whereas, workers inoculating poultry on commercial farms may be concerned with large-gauge needles (21 G), but not small-gauge needles.
(3)	Certain materials are optimized to resist either large-gauge or small-gauge needles and testing against the other would not be useful. Other materials may be engineered for resistance to the full breadth of the gauge spectrum. For example, in applications such as healthcare, where a broad range of needle gauges is expected, testing against both ends of the spectrum allows for a better understanding of robustness.

1. Scope

1.1

This test method is used to determine the force required to cause a sharp-edged hypodermic needle to penetrate through protective clothing material. The standard describes three needles that may be used: 21, 25, or 28 gauge needles.

1.2

The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.

1.3

This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

1.4

This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

2. Referenced Documents

2.1 ASTM Standards:2

3. Terminology

3.1 Definitions:

4. Summary of Test Method

4.1

4.2

4.3

4.4

5. Significance and Use

5.1

6. Apparatus

6.1

6.2

6.3 Hypodermic Needle Puncture Probes General Description:

6.4

6.5

6.6

6.7

7. Test Specimen

7.1

7.2

7.3

8. Needle Lot Validation

8.1

8.2 Needle Lot Validation Procedure:

9. Procedure

9.1

9.2

9.3

9.4

9.5

9.6

9.7

9.8

9.9

10. Report

10.1

11. Precision and Bias

11.1

11.2

11.3

12. Keywords

12.1

ASTM F2878 - 19(2024)

Standard Test Method for Protective Clothing Material Resistance to Hypodermic Needle Puncture

Current

Published:

1 Nov 2024