This research describes healthcare workers'' characteristics and degree of knowledge about needlestick injuries, and compliance with standard precautions. The study subjects were 185 medical service providers working at university hospitals. The period of data collection was from May 1 to May 7, 2015, and data was analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson''s Correlation Coefficient, using SPSS 18.0 program. The percentage of healthcare workers who had experienced a needlestick injury was 45.4% and the proportion of subjects who experienced an incidence of needlestick injury of 1?2 times per year was 75.0%. The proportion of subjects reporting cases was 64.7%. The percentage of correct answers for needlestick injury questions was 89.25%, and when compliance with standard precautions was tested, the score for sharp instruments was 3.37 and that for protective equipment was 3.28. Knowledge of needlestick injuries showed significant differences according to the following general characteristics: department of work (p=.002), whether the individual experienced a needlestick injury within the last year (p=.047), whether there was an available guidebook on infection management within the hospital (p=.001), and whether the individual had experienced education in the prevention of needlestick injuries (p=.020). Compliance with sharp instruments showed a statistically significant difference according to gender (p<.001), occupation (p=.017), and experience of a needlestick injury within the last year (p=0.14). Compliance with protective equipment showed a statistically significant difference according to gender (p<.01), occupation (p<.001), and experience of needlestick injuries within the last year (p=.006). Even though there was a significant positive correlation between knowledge of needlestick injuries and the use of sharp instruments (p=.047), our research showed that, among standard precautions, guidelines for the use of sharp instruments should be emphasized in order to prevent needlestick injuries in healthcare workers.