Injuries from needles and scalpels are one of the biggest concerns among health care workers with upwards of 18,000 healthcare workers in Australia experiencing needle-stick and scalpel injuries each year (1). Hazards from sharps injuries include transmission of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV, as well as 20 other pathogens (1). This is not to …
Continue reading<span class="screen-reader-text"> "Are Safety Scalpels Actually Safe?"</span>
Funeral directors and embalmers have close contact with cadavers and body fluids, which leaves them at risk of sharps injuries and bloodborne infections. Sharps injuries can transmit bloodborne viruses such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV. There is also the risk that a serious sharps cut can damage a tendon or nerve, which can …
Safety scalpels were first heavily promoted in response to a US legislation change in 2000 known as the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act. As the name might suggest, safety scalpels are active safety devices that are designed to protect their users. While the idea of safety scalpels being a functional solution might all be well …
The anxiety that derives from sharps injuries in the medical industry often goes unmentioned. While sharps injuries can initially be painful and distressing, there is a lot more to them than what meets the eye. Thoughts about the possible outcomes and repercussions from a sharps injury can become overwhelming and affect a person in many …
There is a lot to take into consideration when choosing tools that keep patients and staff safe. Devices that have safety features fall under one of two categories; passive safety, or active safety. Here’s a breakdown of what active and passive safety means and just how safe they are. What is active safety? An …
It’s concerning that even with all the medical breakthroughs and advances in surgical technology, the threat of getting a sharps injury in the healthcare setting is still a major concern amongst nurses, operating room technicians, and other healthcare professionals. These injuries are not just about getting an open cut, but also worrying are the blood …