Livestock handlers undertake surgical castration with scalpels to remove testicles from male animals such as cows or swine. Livestock handlers are often exposed to occupational health risks of scalpel cuts and injuries during castration procedures. As sharps injuries have been observed in veterinarian practices associated with large animals, it is important for livestock handlers to …
Holiday hazards and their impact on hospitals
The holidays are here and while most of us are enjoying time with our loved ones and kicking back, hospital staff are about to get busier. It has been well noted in research that the most wonderful time of the year can also be the most dangerous, with some alarming safety statistics worldwide. We’ve outlined …
Under-reporting scalpel injuries: the risks to healthcare staff and institutions
In 2008, a survey by the Royal College of Nursing found that while 50% of nurses had sustained a sharps injury, only 10% of those injuries were reported. This means that even in dangerous situations where there are safety risks, approximately 90% of sharps injuries are not reported. A sharps injury such as a scalpel …
Why Everyone Should Embrace National HIV Testing Day
In the US, 1.1 million people have HIV – one in seven of these people don’t even know they are carrying the virus. National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) happens in less than 2 weeks, on the 27th of June. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) applies a theme every year to encourage people …