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Correct Answer: georgia.
the correct answer is georgia. to understand why, it’s important to consider the legislative context surrounding needle safety in healthcare settings in the united states as of 2001.
in 2001, president bill clinton signed into law the needlestick safety and prevention act, which was an amendment to the occupational safety and health administration's (osha) bloodborne pathogens standard. this federal mandate was primarily focused on reducing health risks associated with needlestick injuries among healthcare workers, a common and serious concern in medical settings. the needlestick safety and prevention act required employers to implement safer medical devices to reduce the risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens.
however, the federal mandate had certain limitations. specifically, it did not automatically apply to public healthcare facilities unless individual states enacted their own complementary needle safety laws. this was a significant gap, as it meant that healthcare workers in public facilities in states without such laws were not covered under the enhanced protections provided by the federal mandate.
recognizing this gap, seven states took the initiative to pass their own needle safety laws to extend these protections to public healthcare settings within their jurisdictions. these states were georgia, maine, massachusetts, new hampshire, ohio, texas, and west virginia.
therefore, in august 2001, a dental assistant living in georgia would be covered not only by osha's federal mandate but also by georgia’s state-run needle safety laws that extended these protections to public healthcare settings. this dual layer of protection ensured a higher standard of safety for healthcare workers in georgia, addressing the significant risks associated with needlestick injuries in the workplace.
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