Healthcare Sector
Healthcare industry working to prevent sharps
injuries
Health & Safety update 03/02/2012
Medical companies and industry bodies are working to help
healthcare organisations to comply with new EU regulations on the
prevention of sharps injuries.
The EU Directive (2010/32/EU) on sharps injuries prevention is a
new set of guidelines aimed at setting out a mandatory framework to
help eliminate injuries from needles and other pieces of equipment
in medical workplaces. The UK must implement it into national law
by May 2013, and organisations are already gearing up to help with
the changes.
The Royal College of Nursing is working with medical technology
company, BD, to stage a number of workshops, led by leading nursing
professionals, to help teach staff new techniques and ways of
avoiding such injuries.
RCN senior employment relations adviser, Kim Sunley, said that
nurses were in continual risk of such injuries – which can risk
life-threatening infections such as HIV and hepatitis – and the new
directive would help prevent them more easily.
"The RCN played a key role in calling for the EU Directive,
which presents a great opportunity to lead the way, and there's no
reason why hospitals in the UK can't set the standard,” Sunley told
Personnel Today. “Employers have a duty to do all they can to
protect staff from sharps injuries and we would not want to see
them shirk from this responsibility. By working together with
healthcare professionals and management, we can create a culture of
safety for all nursing staff.”
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