People are still getting stuck with sharps in spite years of safety standards. Part of that is due to shortcomings in safety technology. But, human factors remain part of the issue. Amber Hogan Mitchell, DrPH, MPH, CPH, president and executive director of the International Safety Center, visited with Repertoire about the issues for medical professionals.
Things are getting better. But ‘better’ isn’t ‘great.’
Source: Repertoire, July 2018, page 48. Link.
Facts about sharps injuries:
- Injuries from suture injuries (26.1 percent) have now surpassed injuries from disposable hypodermic needles/syringes (24.6 percent).
- `Of injuries from hypodermic syringes, 27.2 percent are from insulin needles.
- When employees indicate they were injured from a needle or sharp, more than 30 percent say they were from devices with safety features.
- Of those, more than 65 percent did not activate the safety feature. And if they did, almost 20 percent indicate that the injury occurred after safety mechanism activation.
- Forty-nine percent of injuries from devices with safety mechanisms occur before those features can be activated, because the patient may have jumped or jarred.
- Nearly 30 percent of all sharps injuries and needlesticks happen to non-users (e.g., members of clinical teams, environmental services, laundry, waste haulers, visitors, and administrative staff).
Also see: Animal & Medical Hazards that Affect the Staff – AAHA. Link.
Insurance statistics reveal that animal-connected accidents are the most common injury among workers in veterinary-related fields. Unfortunately, this hazard can’t be eliminated, so we have to do the next best thing—control it. Your best controls for this hazard are your training, knowledge, and use of “restraint.”