Needlestick injuries are often associated with the following activities:
- recapping needles;
- failing to dispose of used needles properly in a puncture-resistant sharps container; and
- trying to do several things at the same time, especially when disassembling or disposing of needles.
Difficult patient care situations and working in reduced lighting can also contribute to the potential for a needle stick injury.
Reduce your risk by
- not recapping or re-sheathing needles;
- using safety‐engineered sharps in accordance with provincial legislation;
- limiting your handling of sharps;
- placing sharps containers at eye level and within arm’s reach;
- disposing of sharps immediately after use in designated sharps containers;
- sharps containers are clearly labeled, puncture resistant, tamper proof, closable and leak proof;
- sharps containers are replaced prior to reaching capacity, and securely stored until final disposal;
- sharps containers are not emptied and reused;
- establishing means for the safe handling and disposal of sharps devices before the beginning of a procedure; and
- ensuring your sharps handling policies and procedures are up to date and reviewed regularly by all affected staff.
Review your pharmacy’s environment, workflow, policies, and procedures and make adjustments as needed to mitigate as many of these risks as possible.
In case of injury
To be prepared in the event of a needlestick injury, see the Alberta Post-Exposure Management and Prophylaxis Guidelines.