Addressing the Hierarchy of Controls Using Sharps Safety The Hierarchy of Controls is a very effective method for managing hazards in the workplace and should be followed to prevent sharps injuries to healthcare workers. According to Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), it is a well-recognised approach used to address sharps hazards in …
Are Safety Scalpels Actually Safe?
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 …
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New Australia Standards AS 3825:2020 Procedures and Devices for the Removal, Containment and Disposal of Scalpel Blades
In December 2020 Standards Australia published AS 3825:2020 Procedures and devices for the removal, containment and disposal of scalpel blades from scalpel handles to replace the 1998 version, AS/NZS 3825:1998. This revision enabled the inclusion of new information and the removal of one outdated section based on the latest published data to ensure optimal safety …
World Health Organization’s Number 1 Goal: Prevent Sharps Injuries
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the risks and challenges that healthcare workers face every day. This includes injuries, infections, violence, and avoidable safety-related incidents. Due to the stressful environment that these workers struggle with, they are more prone to errors which can lead to patient harm. The World Health Organisation’s World Patient Safety Day (WPSD) …
Risks of Scalpel Injuries in Autopsies
Working in a autopsies can be demanding and often requires complex dissection using scalpels. Autopsy surgeons, forensic pathologists, and the personnel who assist in conducting autopsies are at risk of scalpel cuts and injuries. Scalpel cuts carry the associated risk of acquiring various kinds of viral and bacterial infections from contagious body fluids and soft …
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How to Evaluate Safety Implementation in Healthcare
As we know, having a safety plan is extremely important in healthcare. Risks of injury can incur financial costs to a facility, and have physical and emotional effects on injured healthcare workers. For these reasons, it is important to be able to effectively implement safety plans and measures to mitigate identified risks to safety. The …