Spotlight on Sharps Safety

Needlestick injuries are a serious concern in healthcare, with an estimated 5.6 million healthcare workers being at risk of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens, including HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and others.1 Are you doing everything you can to protect yourself and your employees?

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a division of the CDC, recommends that healthcare employees take the following steps to protect themselves from needlestick injuries2:

• Avoid using needles when safe and effective alternatives are available
• Help your facility leaders select and evaluate devices with safety features
• Use the devices with safety features provided by your employer
• Avoid recapping needles
• Plan for safe handling and disposal before beginning any procedure involving needles
• Dispose of used needles promptly in appropriate sharps disposal containers
• Report all needlestick and other sharps-related injuries promptly to ensure you receive appropriate follow-up care
• Tell your employer about any hazards from needles that you see in the work environment
• Take part in bloodborne pathogen training and follow recommended infection prevention practices, including Hepatitis B vaccination

In addition to the steps listed above, NIOSH recommends healthcare employers do the following2:

• Analyze needlestick and other sharps-related injuries in the workplace to identify hazards and injury trends
• Set priorities and strategies for prevention by examining local and national information on needlestick injury risk factors and successful intervention efforts
• Ensure workers are properly trained on safely using and disposing of needles
• Modify work practices that pose a needlestick injury risk to make them safer
• Promote safety awareness in your facility
• Establish procedures for and encourage the timely reporting and follow-up of all needlestick and sharps-related injuries
• Evaluate the effectiveness of prevention efforts and provide feedback on performance

Professional Medical stocks safety syringes and sharps disposal systems to protect your residents and employees. To learn more, contact your ProMed territory manager, give us a call at (800) 648-5190 or visit us online at promedsupply.com for additional information.

References
1 Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Needlestick/Sharps Injuries. Available at: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/hospital/hazards/sharps/sharps.html. Accessed March 26, 2015.

2 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. ALERT: Preventing Needlestick Injuries in Health Care Settings. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2000-108/pdfs/2000-108.pdf. Accessed March 26, 2015.