CLINICAL WASTE


‘Safer, greener’ sharps management examined


Jenna Davies, Global Product manager, Clinical Waste Management, at Vernacare, discusses the risks surrounding needlestick injuries in healthcare facilities, and emphasises that all staff should be trained in how to work safely with sharps, how to safely dispose of them, and what to do if an injury occurs.


It’s no secret that needlestick injuries (NSI) represent a significant risk to all healthcare setting staff – from clinicians to cleaners. Leaders know that robust mitigation strategies are an essential and mandatory way to protect people from harm, and organisations from avoidable costs. However, it’s also important to recognise that some of these strategies can have knock-on effects of their own. Limited capacity sharps containers made from a low percentage of recycled plastic, for example, can be a significant drain on sustainability efforts, at a time when healthcare settings across the country are striving to meet their Net Zero commitments. The importance of NSI risk mitigation, from both a


human and business perspective, should not be overstated. Needlestick injuries are a relatively high-risk incident, and Estates managers will be well aware of the need to mitigate risk where possible. Meanwhile, innovation within this space has created new disposal solutions which, when combined with creating a culture of sustainability, can help hospitals, clinics, and surgeries, build safer policies that do not cost the Earth.


A 30-litre Vernacare Sharpsafe Medicinal Sharps container.


Needlestick injuries: ‘common and consequential’ Everyone who may come into contact with sharps during the course of their duties – from healthcare professionals to cleaning staff and waste handlers, is at risk of an NSI. These injuries, defined as an accidental, skin-penetrating stab wound from a needle containing another person’s blood or bodily fluid, are extremely common.1


Globally,


an estimated two million occupational NSIs occur every year,2


profession alone.3


with 40,000 being recorded across the UK medical The true number, however, is thought to


be much higher, as many incidents are never reported. Every single one of these injuries has the potential to do


harm. NSIs can transmit at least 20 different pathogens. The most critical are Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV,4 all of which are serious infections with long-lasting health implications, that often require extensive medical care. Alongside the physical health impact, the injuries


also carry a significant mental health risk. One review, published in 2022, for example, found that healthcare workers may experience post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression, following a sharps injury.5 What’s more, NSIs often result in increased costs that


healthcare systems can ill afford. Post-exposure prophylaxis, medical treatments, and potential lost work time, can all add up, and, with safe sharps management being strictly regulated, lapses can lead to expensive legal action. Under the Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in


Healthcare) Regulations 2013, for example, all healthcare settings must have a written sharps management protocol. This should include a risk assessment, a commitment to only using sharps where they are required, and a policy to use ‘safer sharps’, rather than traditional, unprotected sharps, wherever ‘reasonably practicable’. Secure containers and instructions for safe disposal should be situated close to work areas, and all staff should be trained in how to work safety with sharps, how to safely dispose of them, and what to do if an injury occurs.6 Failure to comply can be costly. Between 2021 and


2022, the NHS Resolution (an arm’s-length body of the Department of Health and Social Care that provides expertise on resolving concerns and disputes fairly) received 2,600 NSI-related claims. As of December 2022, these claims had cost the service £10,799,616 in damages and legal costs, a figure that is expected to increase as the remaining 167 claims are processed. Interestingly, 1,460 of the claims settled so far were made by ancillary workers, including cleaners, porters, laundry and maintenance staff, and just 432 by clinical staff. This clearly demonstrates the importance of NSI risk mitigation in all areas of healthcare provision.7


Non-compliance the main cause The main causes of the breaches included non-compliance with standard infection control precautions, inadequate disposal of clinical waste, and the overfilling of sharps bins7


– all of which are entirely preventable with the right policies, practices, and equipment. 64 Health Estate Journal November 2024


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