What is needlestick and sharp injury?
Needlestick and sharp injuries are common occupational hazards to healthcare workers, and it occurs when sharp instruments such as needle and other sharp materials penetrate the skin.
How do you prevent and manage needlestick or sharps injuries?
Eliminate the use of needle devices whenever safe and effective alternatives are available. Provide needle devices with safety features. Provide sharps containers for workers to bring into clients’ homes. Investigate all sharps-related injuries.
Where should needlesticks and sharps injuries be recorded?
the OSHA log
All wounds caused by contaminated or potentially contaminated sharp objects must initially be recorded on the OSHA log as injuries.
How do you prevent sharps injuries?
Steps for remaining ‘sharps safe’ are summarised below.
- Avoid leaving sharps lying around;
- Avoid re-sheathing any used needles/razors;
- Do not bend/break needles before discarding them;
- Place contaminated sharps/razors in disposal containers approved to BS 7320:1990, immediately after use;
How do you treat a needlestick injury?
Treating needlestick injuries
- Wash the area gently with soap and running tap water as soon as possible.
- Apply an antiseptic and a clean dressing.
- Obtain prompt medical advice from your local doctor or hospital emergency department, preferably within 24 hours.
- Dispose of the needle safely.
What are the primary priorities to eliminate sharps injuries?
There is a hierarchy of priorities for sharps injury prevention. The first priority is to eliminate and reduce the use of needles and other sharps wherever possible. The next priority is to isolate the hazards and thereby protect otherwise exposed sharps, through the use of engineering controls.
Are needlesticks recordable?
To be recordable, the needlestick injury must be work-related and result in either (a) a fatality or (b) lost workdays, or (c) the need for medical treatment beyond first aid, loss of consciousness, restriction of work or motion, or transfer to another job.
Who is excluded from the bloodborne pathogens standard?
The standard excludes employees who perform unanticipated “Good Samaritan” acts; e.g. one employee may assist another who has a nosebleed or is bleeding as result of a fall.
Are all sharps injuries preventable?
The vast majority of needlestick injuries are preventable. Some workplaces maintain high safety standards and have put many precautions in place to try to avoid injury. But these procedures alone cannot stop needlestick injuries.
Should you squeeze a needle stick injury?
Do not squeeze or rub the injury site. If blood or blood products make contact with eyes, rinse the eyes gently but thoroughly (remove contact lenses), for at least 30 seconds, with water or normal saline.
