12 Mar Needlesticks: Avoiding Exposure
What are needlestick injuries?
Needlestick and sharps injuries occur when needles or other sharp objects inadvertently puncture a person’s skin and can happen “when people use, disassemble or dispose of needles,” according to the Safety National Council.
Each year, an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 needlesticks and other sharps-related injuries are sustained by hospital-based and other healthcare personnel. That’s an average of approximately 1500 to 2000 sharps injuries per day.
Any worker who may come in contact with needles is at risk, including nursing staff, lab workers, doctors, and housekeepers.
What infections can be caused by needlestick injuries?
Needlestick injuries can result in the transmission of infectious diseases, particularly bloodborne viruses such as HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, among others. These bloodborne pathogens can be serious or fatal infections.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination is recommended for all health care workers (unless they are immune because of previous exposure). However, at this time, no vaccine exists to prevent HCV or HIV infection.
Although healthcare workers should be properly educated to protect themselves when on-the-job, accidents can still occur.
What should I do if I injure myself with a used needle?
The first thing you need to do is take a deep breath. The chances of contracting a bloodborne virus from a needle are very low.
If you pierce or puncture your skin with a used needle, follow this first aid advice immediately:
- Encourage the wound to bleed by holding it under running cool water
- Wash the wound using running water and plenty of soap
- Do not scrub the wound while you’re washing it
- Do not scrub or suck on the wound
- Dry and cover the wound
- Seek medical treatment
How can I prevent needlestick injuries?
Become properly trained to prevent any workplace accident from occurring.
At Synergy, we understand that having trained staff may be the difference between an incident and a fatality. To increase our client’s safety culture, we have partnered with Safety National!
Safety National is an online training resource that improves the safety performance of your whole team while building a culture of safety. The online training resource covers a broad range of topics related to your business including the topic, Needlesticks: Avoiding Exposure.
After completing the lesson, will learn about measures that can be taken to reduce your exposure to needlesticks and other sharps-related injuries.
The topics covered in the information video include the following:
- Diseases and exposure routes
- Exposure control plan
- Best work practices
- Safer needle devices
- Exposure procedures
- Sharps injury log
Additional Safety Resources
Synergy offers several other safety resources to all current active clients that focus on the specific changes and challenges that are unique to all businesses. The pieces of training are industry-specific and cater to your exact line of business. The online resource will be free of charge; not only saving time but money.
If you are interested in partnering with Synergy Comp and SOS Safety Solutions to create a culture that fosters communication and embraces safety as a core operating principle, Contact Us Today!
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