Note also that because the hepatitis B virus may survive on environmental surfaces for more than a week, indirect exposure can occur via contaminated inanimate objects. the employee receives a sharps injury and a BBV acquired by this route seroconverts. This is reportable as a disease; Proactive sharps injury reduction strategies are required by law. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act. 1974 places responsibilities on employers to ensure (as far is practicable) the health, safety and welfare of employees. This includes providing a safe working environment in relation to sharps injuries, together with safe equipment, training and instruction on safe systems of work. An additional European directive targeted at the protection of healthcare workers was introduced in May 2010 and transposed into UK regulations The Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2003

In an acute hospital, a generic hospital-wide assessment may be suitable where the activity and the type of sharps instrument used is common across the organisation, for example, use of cannula. Change the acceptable norm, especially in the Operating Theatre, reiterating to surgical and nursing staff that “sharps injuries DO NOT come with the job” Preventing injuries is the most effective way to protect workers. A comprehensive sharps injury prevention program would include:

Non HSE guidance

what procedures to follow in the event of an emergency. For example, measures to be taken in the event of a sharps injury, how to report incidents and what response should be expected from the organisation? Providing education around sharps injury prevention and SED use, especially at the time of new employee orientation and each time an exposure is sustained

Further AIR access advice can be provided by the PCH Immunisation Service: Monday to Friday, 8.30am-4.00pm Phone: 6456 3721 or general advice by the Infectious Diseases Department. Safety First Aid's opening hours are between 8.30am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday, and our sales team will be happy to deal with any queries you might have during these times. Each poster easily displays data from your facility relevant to sharps injuries. Displaying data from your facility provides staff members with meaningful information about their own behavior, as well as their risk of experiencing a sharps injury. Another template is provided for testimonial quotes from staff members who have experienced or been involved with a sharps injury. Healthcare workers should cover open skin areas or lesions on hands and arms with a dry dressing at all times. Hand hygiene is still essential, so consultation is necessary if the dressing interferes with this procedure.If the child does not fulfil any of the above criteria and has not received a booster tetanus vaccine within the last 5 years, give tetanus vaccine only. Bagheri-Jamebozorgi M, Keshavarz J, Nemati M, Mohammadi-Hossainabad S, Rezayati M, Nejad-Ghaderi M, et al. The persistence of anti-HBs antibody and anamnestic response 20 years after primary vaccination with recombinant hepatitis B vaccine at infancy. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics. 2014;10(12):3731-6.

All sharps should be disposed of carefully at the point of use. This means that suitable sharps containers should be portable enough to take to the activity, and designed specifically to allow needles and sharp instruments to be disposed of easily and safely at the point of use. Give tetanus vaccine (DTPa or ADT depending on child’s age) and tetanus immunoglobulin. Access via Transfusion Management Unit (Blood Bank) Ext 34015 (from PCH) or 6383 4015 (for urgent requests) Wash the wound using running water and plenty of soap. Leave under running water for a minimum of 10 minutes, ideally 20 minutes. the patient may self-administer as normal provided they can remove and dispose of their pen needle. The control of exposure at source, eg having a clinical waste policy which ensures safe collection, storage, transport and final disposal of waste.GP follow up 1 week after the initial serology to communicate the results of HIV, Hepatitis C serology