Sharps risk assessment example

For example, you can use needleblocks to remove and hold the needle cap and allow safe onehanded recapping. There is a written practice policyprotocol in place, including a risk assessment explaining why they continue to use traditional local anaesthetic reusable syringes see 3 and 4 below. Prevention of sharps injuries 10 risk assessment 10 preparing the organisation 10 five steps to risk assessment and sharps injuries 11 selection and evaluation of safetyengineered devices policies 15 training and information 15 incident reporting 15 first aid 16 followup 16 4. Educate and train all staff in the safe use of any tool they may use. Clinical waste can pose a serious risk to the health and safety of both workers and members of the general public who may inadvertently come into contact with it if it is not disposed of in a correct and safe manner. Risk ranking system the risk ranking system shown below has been used to. For example, measures to be taken in the event of a sharps injury, how. No resheathing of needles this does not include when the safety guard is activated. The use of glassware is covered in the separate risk assessment the use of glassware disposal. Sample risk assessment on sharps injuries 22 best practice risk assessment 23 contents. Risk assessment and needlestick injuries euosha europa eu.

Prior to selecting a biosafety level, conduct a risk assessment to determine the appropriate work practices and containment requirements. Risk assessment means identifying hazards and controlling the risks in the workplace. Student safety sheets 71 sharps including scalpels, knives, syringe needles, seekers, etc source hazard comment scalpels, knives and other blades is contaminated by contact with living or once. You can if the employers risk assessment has identified that recapping is itself required to prevent a risk. A8 sharps injury hazard observation and reporting forms. Sharps risk assessment template needlestick injury risk. Biohazard risk assessment office of environmental health. A risk assessment has been undertaken for any departments who want to use nonsafety sharps. This form was developed to collect the opinions and observations of healthcare professionals regarding a device with an engineered sharps injury prevention feature. Individual workstations are designed and set up for the individual users. Handling sharps in adult social care care quality commission. Your primary duty is to prevent exposure to the risk of. A sharp is any item that could result in a cut or puncture wound to an individual. The findings of the risk assessment should be documented using the generic risk assessment format detailed in appendix 54, and contain the action plan to reduce the risks of injury.

The results of the risk assessment should be shared with all. Managing the risks of sharps injuries december 2015 managing the risks of sharps injuries sharps injuries are a wellknown risk to workers in healthcare and for those who receive them they can cause anxiety and distress and may result in exposure to bloodborne viruses bbvs such as. Safe use and disposal of sharps procedure ipc manual. The risk control measures identified by the risk assessment should follow the. Patient evaluation and risk assessment pocket dentistry.

The stalking and harassment assessment and risk profile sharp is a 43 item webbased assessment developed from the empirical research, clinical literature, stories from stalking victims, case studies, as well as feedback from victims, advocates, and other professionals in the field. Employers ensure that risks from sharps injuries are adequately assessed and appropriate control measures are in place. Biohazard risk assessment and biosafety program minimize risk for labacquired infections by addressing. Needlesticks and other sharpsrelated injuries which expose workers to bloodborne pathogens continue to be a significant hazard for hospital employees. This is especially important during the induction programme for new starters.

Sharps contaminated with an infected patients blood can transmit more than 20 diseases, including hepatitis b, c and human immunodeficiency virus hiv. Stalking and harassment assessment and risk profile sharp. Risk assessment the steps there are five established steps to performing a risk assessment and these include. Examples of hazards, risk assessment methods, and activities or plans to reduce risk possible hazards identified example assessment method risk reduction plan example control addressed sharps injuries among surgeons when suturing fascia with sharp suture needles. Sharps injuries are a wellknown risk in the health and social care sector. Sharps injury safe handling and disposal of sharps policy. Use of this form will help healthcare organizations make final decisions about the acceptability of a product based on its usefulness and safety features. In dentistry, if recapping or disassembly is unavoidable, a risk assessment must be undertaken, and appropriate safety devices should be used. To comply with the law, a competent person must carry out a sharps risk assessment, identifying hazards and risks and deciding on controls. The risk control measures identified by the risk assessment should follow the hierarchical approach in the control of substances hazardous to health regulations coshh 2002. Biohazard risk assessment clep safety sustaining standard of practice 1.

Managing the risks of sharps injuries nhs employers. Awareness be aware of adverse outcomes that may occur in the management of a patient who has a medical condition p. If the risk assessment identifies a number of unaddressed hazards, rank them in order. Ppe to reduce the likelihood that a hazardous event e. Many healthcare workers do not know how to manage a sharps injury,2 particularly if this occurs out of hours.

Introduction the royal college of nursing rcn has a long history of campaigning on improved protection for nurses and health care workers exposed to the. Sharps injuries are a wellknown risk to workers in healthcare and for those who. Medical sharps sharps include any device used for a healthcare activity to puncture or lacerate the skin and include. Ask relevant staff members to read, sign and date risk assessments which relate to their job role. For example, a range of syringes and needles are available with a shield or cover that slides or pivots to cover the needle after use. An example stress risk assessment can be found at on the hse stress at work website.

Assessing methods for the analysis and use of sharps injury data 25. Needles and sharps rs assessment page 1 of 3 needles and sharps risk assessment form name competent person carrying out the risk assessment role job title department date ddmmyyyy activity being assessed enter a detailed description of the activities being assessed department enter details of the department that the risk assessment. Always date when the risk assessment was carried out. Group report for employers of 50 or more employees, which provides a detailed overview of your employees response rates for each question on the health risk assessment. Because the most wellknown form of such contact is a puncture wound by a syringe, these incidents are frequently referred to as needlestick or. The risk assessment can be department wardbased, or refer to one secular practice if required. P 2 s 2 rf 4 low 3 contact with some unpredictability. A risk assessment will help you to identify the hazards in the workplace, consider the nature of these risks and then determine which control measures should be implemented. That there are a sufficient number of sharpsmart containers to take to the point of use to. If any of these are true about your workplace, it is important to perform a sharps risk assessment so that you can avoid the dangers.

See appendix 56 and 57 for guidance on completing a risk assessment for sharps management. Improving work organisation for example, dealing with fatigue e. Risk assessment for biological agents it should be noted that as the biological agents included in group 1 are too numerous to specify, if an agent is not listed this does not. Risk assessment is the basis for successful safety and health management. Risk assessment ra is a process that involves hazard identification and hazard control risk assessment requires oknowledge of the hazards ounderstanding of the work, the environment, and the staff omanagement involvement and support. Danger cuts and puncture wounds can lead to infection, especially if the blade or point. Appendix 56 sharps risk assessment guidance step one. The risk assessment must be put on datix risk register and include appropriate control measures to reduce the likelihood of an incident occurring. Example assessment method risk reduction plan example control addressed sharps injuries among surgeons when suturing fascia with sharp suture needles.

For example, a knife should not be used as a pry bar, can opener, chisel, punch, awl, scraper, or screwdriver. Your assessment should consider properties of the biohazardous material and the procedures to be performed. Hse policy for the prevention of sharps injuries page 5 1. In these limited cases, appropriate devices to control the risk of injury to employees must be provided. Managing the risks of sharps injuries december 2015 managing the risks of sharps injuries sharps injuries are a wellknown risk to workers in healthcare and for those who receive them they can cause anxiety and distress and may result in exposure to bloodborne viruses bbvs such as hiv or hepatitis b or c. Management of sharps injuries in the healthcare setting. Risk the chance or likelihood that someone will be harmed by the hazard. All sharps injuries are therefore a hazard that could lead to the risk of. In addition to such injuries, infection can occur through blood splashes to. The following actions are to be undertaken to reduce the risk level as far as reasonably practical and to ensure that all of the standard controls and local arrangements are in place. Various databases provide information and examples of safe medical. Annual assessment of safer sharps devices and work practices. Staff must ensure that all sharps containers are assembled correctly.

Risk assessment a brief guide to controlling risks in the workplace. Health risk assessment for worksite wellness broker and. The main risk posed by needlestick injury to workers is exposure of the. Possible cuts from sharps used in specimen collection. Only use the tool only for the job it was designed for. Control measures risk controls are measures you put in place e. Workbook for designing, implementing, and evaluating a. Use of blunt fill device for drawing up from ampoulesvials.

Use our downloadable sharps risk assessment template to help you properly carry out and document your risk assessment, so you can protect your staff and comply with your. Some services have more specific hazards, for example scalpel blades used in. Sharps must never be disposed off in the normal waste bin. Bloodborne pathogens for first aid providers program template.

General risk assessment hygeia dental care dentist in. They ensure that you eliminate or reduce the risks to your employees and effectively control workplace hazards. There are several pieces of legislation that cover the safe use and disposal of sharps instruments in the uk. The method used in carrying out these assessments is explained in the guidance notes contained in appendix i. This illustrates what you need to think about and include. Risk assessment in the clinical microbiology laboratory.