Sharps and Safety Devices

Executive Summary

Key Messages

NHS Lothian recognises its responsibilities under Health and Safety Legislation and the duty to protect, so far as reasonably practicable, all patients, employees, contractors, students and pupils on placements, voluntary workers and visitors as well as members of the public from injury, resulting from inappropriate use or disposal of ‘sharps’.
NHS Lothian is committed to taking steps, as far as is reasonably practicable, to ensure the prevention of sharp injuries.
Due to the wide distribution of sharps across NHS Lothian, this policy must be made available to all staff
The use of ‘safety devices’ will be kept under review by the Health and Safety Committee taking forward further implementation based on the cost effectiveness and Risk Assessment process
NHS Lothian will ensure that there is in place a Risk Assessment process to prevent/reduce the likelihood of sharp injuries
All staff are accountable for their own actions and must follow all ‘policies’ and procedures designed to ensure safer ways of working including actions to prevent sharp injury which include the use of safety devices. Should a clinician or other user decide that other risk factors such as patient safety, comfort or clinical procedures outweigh the use of the safer device then they must conduct a risk assessment and record the agreement to detract from using the safety device.

This Policy was prepared for publication in January 2015. After this date, readers must ensure that they use the latest relevant legislation

Existing Health and Safety Legislation requires employers to protect workers from the risk of injury form medical sharps and exposure to biological agents: