Sharps Awareness Training for Staff

Every year, thousands of healthcare workers and other professionals face the serious risks associated with sharps injuries, including exposure to dangerous bloodborne infections like hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), and HIV.

Global estimates show that sharps injuries account for approximately 66,000 HBV infections, 16,000 HCV infections, and up to 5,000 HIV infections annually among healthcare workers alone [W.H.O].

Even a single injury can have life-changing consequences, with transmission rates as high as 30% for HBV and 1.8% for HCV.

These alarming statistics highlight the critical need for proper training in sharps handling and disposal.

A Sharps Awareness Training Course equips staff with the knowledge and skills to prevent injuries, protect themselves and others, and comply with legal safety standards.

This training is essential for creating a safer workplace and reducing the risks associated with sharps exposure.

📌Related: Needlestick Blood Borne Virus Training.

Key Information:

• Sharps Injuries and Risks: Sharps injuries, such as needlesticks and cuts from sharp objects, can expose healthcare workers to serious bloodborne infections like hepatitis B, C, and HIV.
• Importance of Sharps Awareness Training: The training helps workers learn safe handling, disposal, and protective measures to prevent sharps-related injuries and infections.
• Course Details: The course lasts 2-3 hours, provides certification valid for 1 year, and has a maximum of 12 participants per class.
• Benefits of the Training: Sharps Awareness Training improves safety, reduces stress, enhances workplace efficiency, builds confidence, and ensures compliance with legal safety standards.
• Target Audience for Training: Healthcare professionals, social care workers, lab staff, first aid responders, and anyone who may come into contact with sharps should take this training.
• Regulations for Handling Sharps: Legal requirements like the Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013 mandate safe handling and disposal practices to protect workers and patients.

What are Sharps in Healthcare Settings?

Sharps in healthcare are medical tools that can cut, prick, or hurt the skin. These include items like needles, syringes, scalpels, lancets, IV catheters, broken glass bottles, razor blades, and suture needles.

They are dangerous because they can spread infections like Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV if they touch blood or body fluids that are infected.

Healthcare workers, such as doctors, nurses, and lab staff, are most at risk of getting hurt by sharps, but other workers like cleaners and waste handlers can also be affected.

It is very important to handle and throw away sharps in special, safe containers to avoid injuries and the spread of infections.

Examples of sharps include:

1. Needles: Used for injecting medication or drawing blood.
2. Syringes: Devices that hold medication to be injected into the body.
3. Lancets: Small blades used to prick the skin for blood tests, often for diabetes management.
4. Auto Injectors: Pre-filled syringes like epinephrine pens or insulin pens.
5. Infusion Sets: Tubing systems with needles to deliver medication.
6. Scalpel Blades: Used in surgeries to make incisions.
7. Razor Blades: Can be used in medical settings for various procedures.
8. Broken Glass: Such as from ampoules or other medical containers.
9. Pointed Forceps: Used in medical procedures to grasp tissues.
10. Microtomes: Sharp instruments used in laboratories to slice tissues

What is Sharps Awareness Training?

Sharps Awareness Training is a course that teaches people how to safely handle sharp objects like needles and broken glass. These objects can cause injuries and spread diseases like HIV and Hepatitis.

The training helps workers understand the risks and learn how to prevent accidents. The course covers topics such as safe handling techniques, proper disposal methods, and what to do in case of an injury.

This training is important for people who work in healthcare, police, and customs, as well as for managers who oversee staff handling sharps.

The goal is to reduce the risk of injuries and keep workplaces safe. Sharps Awareness Training can be taken online (virtual) or in a classroom, and it includes a certification upon completion.

Sharps Related Risk

The main risks with sharps are:

1. Transmission of Bloodborne Viruses (BBVs): Sharps with infected blood can spread serious diseases like hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), and HIV. These are the biggest risks from sharps injuries.
2. Infectious Agents: Other infections, like CMV, EBV, or prion diseases, can also be spread by sharps injuries. The risk depends on things like the type of sharp and the patient’s infection.
3. Physical Injury: Sharps can cause cuts or punctures, which might lead to infections or contact with dangerous chemicals or radioactive materials, especially in labs.
4. Emotional Impact: After a sharps injury, people can feel anxious or stressed, especially when waiting for test results or treatment.
5. High-Risk Items: Hollow needles, IV needles, and butterfly needles have a higher risk of injury and infection because of their design and use around blood vessels.

It’s important to handle, store, and dispose of sharps properly to reduce these risks.

What Sharps Awareness Training Course Covers:

The Sharps Awareness Training course teaches people how to safely handle and dispose of sharp objects like needles and scalpels.

It covers the following key topics:

1. Introduction and Overview:
   • What sharps are and the different types.
   • Statistics about sharps injuries.
   • Laws and rules about handling sharps.
2. Risks and Hazards:
   • Health risks from sharps injuries.
   • Diseases like HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and tetanus.
   • How infections spread (chain of infection).
3. Safe Handling and Disposal:
   • How to handle sharps carefully.
   • Using gloves and other protective gear.
   • Correct ways to throw away sharps.
4. Risk Assessment and Prevention:
   • Finding areas where injuries might happen.
   • Checking risks and preventing accidents.
5. Emergency Procedures:
   • First aid for sharps injuries.
   • Reporting injuries or finding discarded sharps.
   • Follow-up care after exposure.
6. Practical Exercises:
   • Hands-on practice with safe handling methods.
   • Simulated situations to learn risk assessment.

The course usually lasts 2-3 hours to a full day, depending on the activities included. Participants will receive a certificate valid for 1 years after completing the course.

🟣Advanced Training: Infection Control Train the Trainer Course.

Who Should Take a Sharps Awareness Training?

Sharps Awareness Training is important for anyone who might come into contact with sharp objects or needles at work.

This includes:

• Healthcare professionals, like doctors, nurses, and hospital staff, who often handle medical sharps.
• Social care workers and lab staff, who may come across sharps in their daily tasks.
• First aid responders and waste handlers, who deal with discarded needles or sharp objects.
• Police officers and customs workers, who may find sharps during searches.
• Managers and supervisors of workers handling sharps, to understand the risks and put safety rules in place.

The training is also helpful for anyone who thinks it applies to their job, helping them follow safe practices and legal rules.

Why is Sharps Awareness Very Important?

Sharps Awareness is very important because it helps keep people and workplaces safe from the dangers of handling sharp objects like needles, scalpels, and broken glass.

These objects can cause injuries and spread serious infections like HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C through blood. Proper Sharps Awareness Course teaches how to handle and dispose of sharps safely, which helps prevent accidents and infections.

For employers, this training reduces risks, cuts down on staff absences due to injuries, and helps follow health and safety rules like the Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013 in the UK.

It also creates a safer workplace by teaching employees how to report accidents and use protective equipment properly. Overall, Sharps Awareness Training helps reduce harm and ensures safety and legal compliance.

Course Benefits of Sharps Awareness Training to Staff

Sharps Awareness Training helps staff by:

1. Improving safety: Staff learn how to handle and throw away sharps safely, which reduces the risk of getting hurt or catching diseases like HIV and hepatitis.
2. Reducing stress: Knowing how to manage sharps safely makes staff feel less worried and stressed.
3. Enhancing workplace efficiency: Proper training means fewer accidents, which leads to fewer absences and more work getting done.
4. Building confidence: Hands-on practice and real-life examples help staff feel ready to handle sharps safely in their work.
5. Meeting legal requirements: Training helps staff follow rules like the Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013.
6. Promoting teamwork: Sharing knowledge helps everyone work together and be consistent when handling sharps in the workplace.

Most common injuries caused by mishandling sharps

The most common injuries from mishandling sharp objects like needles and scalpels are:

1. Needlestick Injuries: These occur when needles accidentally poke through the skin. This can happen when using, disassembling, or disposing of needles.
2. Cuts: Sharp objects like scalpels, razor blades, and broken glass can cause cuts to hands and other body parts.
3. Puncture Wounds: Various sharp objects can create small holes in the skin.
4. Injuries During Medical Procedures: Doctors and nurses can get injured when administering injections, taking blood, or stitching wounds.
5. Injuries While Disposing of Sharps: People can get injured if they don’t handle or drop sharp objects carefully during disposal.
6. Injuries from Re-capping Needles: Attempting to put the cap back on a needle can lead to accidental pokes.
7. Unexpected Injuries: Sometimes, needles hidden in sheets or trash can injure workers who are unaware of their presence.

These injuries often occur in hospitals, particularly in patient rooms or operating rooms, but they can also happen in laboratories or in the community.

📌Related Course: Expert-led Infection Control Training.

Main regulations for handling sharps in healthcare

Legal rules for handling sharps in healthcare are made to protect workers, patients, and the environment.

Some important rules are:

1. Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013:
   • Employers must try to avoid using sharps when they can and use safer sharps with protective features if possible.
   • Recapping needles is not allowed unless it’s absolutely necessary and the right tools are used.
   • Sharps containers must be placed close to where sharps are used, and they should be clearly marked with instructions for safe disposal.
2. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH):
   • Employers must check the risks from dangerous substances, like bloodborne diseases, and use safety measures like safe disposal of sharps. Check out our Coshh e-lerning course.
3. The Health and Safety at Work Act:
   • Employers must take reasonable actions to protect employees, including teaching staff how to safely handle and dispose of sharps.
4. Hazardous Waste Regulations:
   • Sharps waste must be stored safely in special color-coded containers (e.g., yellow for medical sharps with medicine) to avoid mixing harmful materials.

Employers must also provide training, check safety procedures regularly, and make sure any injuries or close calls are reported quickly.

Top FAQs

Conclusion

Sharps training is a type of education that teaches people how to safely handle and dispose of sharp objects like needles, syringes, and broken glass.

These objects can cause injuries and spread infections if not handled correctly. The training helps individuals understand the risks associated with sharps and how to prevent accidents. We covers topics such as identifying sharps, preventing injuries, and proper disposal methods.

Sharps Injury Awareness training is important for people in various industries, including healthcare, waste management, and even those who might encounter sharps at home or while traveling. The course includes information on how to use protective equipment and what to do in case of an injury.

By taking our face to face sharps awareness training, individuals can learn how to protect themselves and others from potential harm.

This training is usually available online or in-person and includes a certificate upon successful completion.

Overall, sharps awareness training aims to promote safe practices and reduce the risk of sharps-related injuries.

What Next?

Enquire about our training for your team, we cover this training as Needlestick Injury Training. Please ask our team as the course can be customised to meet your needs. We will send one of our trainers to your location.

Email: enquiries@caringforcare.co.uk

Phone: 01782 563333