MEDICATION A Point On Needles


Using sharps to administer medication can be a tricky skill to master. With increasingly strict health and safety guidelines regulating their usage and disposal, they must be handled with the utmost care. Rebecca Allen, Category Manager at Initial Medical, outlines what care workers need to know to avoid a nasty needlestick injury.


In the UK, a small but still troubling number of healthcare workers develop a potentially life-threatening disease as a result of sharps injury. When you consider the risk of infection following a needlestick injury is estimated to be 1 in 3 for HBV, 1 in 30 for HCV and 1 in 300 for HIV, it is vital that safety procedures are put in place in all care homes.


Following the introduction of The Health & Safety (Sharps Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013, all healthcare facilities need to assess the risk of exposure to blood-borne infections from sharps injuries, identify how to eliminate this and, where exposure cannot be eliminated, put extensive prevention methods in place. The new legislation also requires a framework for the occurrence of a sharps injury and the need for employers to revise their reporting procedures with health and safety representatives.


The health and safety law has always placed general responsibilities on the employer to provide their staff with a healthy working environment. However, this new legislation puts further emphasis on prevention. In reality it would be difficult, if not impossible, to remove all sharps from a care home, so the next best thing is to assess the risk correctly, use devices which limit the risk of injury and dispose of all sharps in a safe manner.


Here are some basic tips to help reduce needlestick injuries in care homes:


• Cease recapping of needles


• Ensure the correct type and size of sharps disposal unit is in place


• Make sure your sharps disposal units are assembled and closed correctly


- 34 -


• Place all sharps disposal units in a safe and secure location


• Dispose of your sharps at point of use • Use sharps brackets


• Have adequate numbers of easily accessible sharps disposal containers


• Report all sharps injuries immediately


• In the case of a needlestick injury, follow your health and safety protocol immediately


It’s important to remember that when it comes to hazardous and infectious waste, such as syringes and other sharps at a care home, the cradle-to- grave rule applies. The producer of waste will always be held responsible for the safe and legal disposal of it, even after it has been passed onto the waste carrier collecting it. This is why it’s important to work with comprehensively trained sharps waste disposal experts who will safely and securely dispose of it and advise on the correct products that comply with both UK and EU legislation.


Health and safety law is criminal law and healthcare organisations can be subject to enforcement action if they fail to comply with the legal requirements. There is also always the threat of civil law action if an employee is injured due to insufficient practices and technologies being in place.


Everyone has a role to play in the prevention of sharps injuries – from trainee staff who are learning the ropes, to chief executives and board directors who hold overall legal responsibility for the wellbeing of their staff.


Initial Medical will soon be offering a new online training tool called ‘MyLearning’ to help keep care


When it comes to hazardous and infectious waste, the cradle-to-grave rule applies.


home employees safe and informed of current regulations and best practice. ‘Waste segregation’ and ‘sharps injuries and how to prevent them’ are two of the many modules included. Individual log in details and personalised access can be provided to each staff member. For more information please visit:


www.initialmedical.co.uk


www.tomorrowscare.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48