- Identify the hazards through a written Risk Assessment
- Assess the risks of injuries
- Put appropriate controls in place
- Implement those controls through safe working procedures and effective management and audit processes.
- Substitute Harmful Biological Agents with less harmful ones
- Eliminate the use of sharps where possible.
- Use ‘engineering controls’ to reduce the risk – Safer Sharps can lower the risk.
- Don’t recap needles, dispose of the using an approved sharps bin.
- Provide information, instruction and supervision
- Provide and monitor the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- If a vaccine exists you must offer the vaccination free of charge to those who are identified as being at risk of infection.
- Training must be provided on the risks associated with sharps and biological agents, the use of devices, the policies, safe systems of work in place, accident report and action to be taken in the event of an injury.
- Have arrangements for first aid, accident reporting, follow-up and the care of the injured employee.
- Ensure sharps bins are of an approved type, which are properly labelled, puncture resistant, sealable and have identification which allows them to be traced back to source.
- Review your procedures following a specified period of time, changes in work practices or any incidents.
In this article we will look at the issues surrounding the use of ‘Sharps’ in the healthcare and allied industries. New regulations which have come into force have once again highlighted the need for employers to ensure they have effective controls and suitable and sufficient risk assessments in place.
As general statement every employer must protect their employees and others who may be affected by their work from all foreseeable hazards, this applies across all industries and workplaces. The healthcare and associated industries have a particular hazard which must be dealt with effectively or there may be serious and life changing consequences – Blood Bourne Viruses – BBV or other Biological Agents. Examples of these would be hepatitis B (HBV) hepatitis C (HCV) or Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV), which can infect workers if they are exposed to infected blood or body fluids, this could be via the mucous membranes (eyes, mouth and nose), through broken skin or through a sharps injury where the skin is punctured or scratched by a needle or sharp device that has been used in a medical procedure.
As with all hazards the employer is duty bound under the Safety, Health & Welfare at Work Act 2005, Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Biological Agents) Regulations 2013 (which revoked the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Biological Agents) Regulations, 1994 and the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Biological Agents) (Amendment) Regulations, 1998) and the European Union (Prevention of Sharps Injuries in the Healthcare Sector) Regulations 2014
WHAT ARE SHARPS?
The Regulations define sharps as ‘objects or instruments necessary for the exercise of specific healthcare activities, which are able to cut, prick or cause injury or infection’. This includes equipment such as needles, blades (such as scalpels) and other sharp medical instruments.
WHO DO THE REGULATIONS APPLY TO?
They apply to all employers and employees in the healthcare sector. This includes nurses, medical practitioners, nursing auxiliaries and assistants, cleaners, dental nurses, paramedics, home carers etc. they also apply to those who provide services to the Healthcare Sector.
WHAT DO EMPLOYERS HAVE TO DO?
The employers have a duty to do the following:
