Practice No.
140
Reference:
10/06
Version 3
HCC AS 19/07
HCC AS 23/06
HCC AS 31/00
HCC AS 25/00
Page 1 of 3
HCC AS 15/07
Practice No 137
Last up-dated
Mar 08
NMC Code of Practice
GSCC Code of Practice
Safe Use and Disposal of ‘Sharps’
Hampshire County Council has a legal duty of care to protect staff against
accidental injury at work. Employees have a similar legal duty of care to protect
themselves and others in the execution of their duties. This summarises the
requirements and provisions for the safe handling and disposal of sharps.:
For the purposes of this document:Sharps are defined as needles; syringes; scalpel and razor blades; lancets;
other disposable medical equipment; broken glass and other materials which
may be contaminated with body fluids or chemicals and may cause laceration or
puncture of the skin in use or during disposal.
A sharps injury is defined as the skin being broken by puncture, incision or
abrasion by a sharp object.
1.
1.1
Hazards of using sharps
-
-
Cut or stab (needle stick) injuries
Accidental injection of toxic or otherwise harmful material into the
body, from hypodermic needles or other contaminated sharps e.g.
razor blades
Psychological trauma from fear of harm from an accidental injury – this
should not be ignored.
1.2
The most likely person to be at risk from these hazards, is the person using
the sharp object. Therefore all staff will be trained to use equipment as
required by their role profile. No staff should undertake the use of equipment
which they have not been trained to use.
1.3
For competent, safe and effective practice, trained staff are responsible for
sharing their knowledge and expertise to educate and support ancillary staff.
2.
Before Using sharps
2.1
Handling of sharps should be kept to a minimum and alternative equipment
used wherever practical e.g. electric razors reduce the risk of harm when
assisting a service user to shave. Needle-less devices can be made available
for the administration of certain medications.
2.2
Before using sharps, ensure that there is a designated, labelled, correctly
assembled sharps bin available and in a suitable location. The bin must
comply with BS 7320.
2.3
Ensure that at all times, sharps bins are situated where they cannot be
accessed by vulnerable people.
2.4
Staff should be aware that visiting professionals, e.g. District Nurses and
G.Ps, may also be using sharps during consultations with residents. Whilst
most of these visitors will carry their own equipment for safe use and
disposal, the duty manager should ensure that this is the case. Where the
visitor does not have the equipment, staff must ensure that they are aware of
the location of, and provided with, a disposal container and protective clothing
where necessary, and that these are disposed of in accordance with the
guidelines, after use.
3.
During Use
3.1
Assemble equipment carefully and do not disassemble unless this is
unavoidable.
NEVER carry sharps in the hand, always use a tray or dish with raised sides.
3.3
Always carry the sharps bin by the handle and use the temporary closure
mechanism when the bin is not in use.
3.4
Wear appropriate personal protective equipment when handling blood or
other body fluids e.g. disposable gloves, aprons and eye protection.
3.5
Do not re-sheath needles after use, this is the most common cause of needle
stick injury.
4.
Disposal of sharps
4.1
It is the responsibility of the individual using a sharp to dispose of it safely.
Sharps must NEVER be disposed of into any bin other than the sharps
disposal bin.
4.2
All sharps must be disposed of directly into the sharps container. Where
possible take the sharps bin to the point of use, and place it on a hard
surface, to avoid carrying unprotected sharps in busy areas.
4.3
Needles and syringes should be disposed of as a unit and not disassembled
unless, in the case of phlebotomy, the needle must be removed for fluid
transfer. In this case, the needle should be disposed of directly into the
sharps box.
4.4
Broken glass should be collected by use of a dustpan and brush and
disposed of into a suitable sharps container.
4.5
NEVER fill the sharps bin more than ¾ full.
4.6
NEVER leave sharps protruding from the bin. If they will not drop into the bin,
the bin is full, should be sealed and a new disposal bin should be used.
4.7
NEVER push sharps into the disposal bin, this significantly increases the risk
of accidental injury.
4.8
When the sharps bin is full it should be sealed as instructed and left in a
safe area for collection by the disposal contractor. Once sealed, sharps
bins should not be opened.
4.9
Disposal of clinical waste is subject to strict legislative controls. Cytotoxic or
cytoplastic waste, must be disposed of in a separate, clearly labelled bin.
5.
In Case of a Sharps Injury
5.1
A contaminated needle can transmit more than twenty dangerous blood
borne pathogens (bacteria and viruses). All sharp materials may transmit
undesirable organisms.
5.2
In the case of cuts and puncture wounds, encourage the wound to bleed out,
do not suck or rub the wound.
5.3
With all wounds, wash the area thoroughly with soap and running water and
cover the injury with a waterproof dressing.
5.4
All sharps injuries should be reported immediately to the duty manager,
whether or not they involve contaminated material. Reports MUST be
made on the Incident reporting system.
5.5
Within 24 hours of sustaining the injury, the individual must contact the
Accident and Emergency Department or their GP for advice.