My health and safety training team has been busy these last few months working with clients on designing and delivering sharps training for workers across a number of industries. It’s an interesting subject and a significant risk to many workers – not just in traditional health care settings but in virtually all industries. I was talking to a client recently who specialised in void house clearances for local authorities, and the horror stories of needle sticks stuck to mail boxes, stair rails and hidden inside sofa cushions is quite scary.
So what is the problem?
A sharps injury is where a needle or sharp instrument, such as a scalpel (collectively referred to as ‘sharps’) penetrate the skin. This is sometimes called a percutaneous injury. If the sharp is contaminated with blood or other body fluid, there is a potential for transmission of infection. Although this is rare, injuries from sharps contaminated with infected blood can transmit more than 20 diseases, including Hepatitis B, C and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Good sharps training will give a clear overview of the risks to delegates.
Transmission of infection depends on a number of factors, including the person’s natural immune system. We know the number of injuries each year is high, and only a small number are known to have caused infections that become serious illnesses.
What should employers do?
Employers should need to take action to manage the risks to workers. They should undertake a risk assessment. The risk management process will help you identify the hazards; consider the nature of the work; evaluate the risks; and implement, monitor and review control measures to reduce the risk.
Employers must:
- ensure standard precautions for infection control are in place;
- ensure all employees, and workers under your control, have information and instruction on safe use of sharps ideally through sharps training;
- ensure that suitable clinical waste disposal procedures, including use of sharps containers, are followed;
- ensure that suitable PPE is provided such as protective footwear, gators, gloves or equipment such as sharps grippers;
- provide access to occupational health advice, and immunisation, where appropriate
- have clear procedures for response to sharps injury, including speedy access to appropriate prophylaxis treatments
- record work-related sharps injuries in your accident book and report to the HSE an infection to an employee if it is reliably attributable to their work.
What to do if you receive a sharps injury?
If you suffer an injury from a sharp which may be contaminated:
- Encourage the wound to gently bleed, ideally holding it under running water;
- Wash the wound using running water and plenty of soap;
- Don’t scrub the wound whilst you are washing it;
- Don’t suck the wound;
- Dry the wound and cover it with a waterproof plaster or dressing;
- Seek urgent medical advice (for example from your Occupational Health Service), as effective prophylaxis (medicines to help fight infection) are available;
- Report the injury to your employer without delay.
Good prevention such as effective risk management and sharps training is key to preventing this hazard becoming a reality.
atcrisk 