Are We Still in the Dark Ages of Sharps Safety?

“We asked ourselves why some institutions were more successful in reducing needlestick injuries than others, and the survey revealed the facilities that provided solid education and training to their personnel was one of the key factors,” Clarke confirms. “As a HCW, if you are getting the right education and training, you are also getting the institution’s commitment to making needlestick prevention a top priority. Because if you identify this as a top priority, you can’t make this kind of statement without facility administration backing it up. And where are you going to start? With education and training of those frontline workers, hopefully you are also getting them involved in the evaluation and selection of safety devices. Facility management must be committed to doing the right thing and not just paying lip service to the needlestick legislation and compliance. Sharps injury prevention is one aspect of employee safety that cannot operate in isolation; it must be part of a broader employee safety mentality in every institution.”

Device Design

While a perfect sharps safety-engineered device may not yet exist, opinions abound as to the components of an ideal device. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) states that improved engineering controls are often among the most effective approaches to reducing occupational hazards such as needlesticks. It provides the desirable characteristics of safety devices:⁵

-- The device is needleless.

-- The safety feature is an integral part of the device.

-- The device does not require activation by the user; if user activation is necessary, the safety feature should be engaged with a single-handed technique and allows the worker’s hands to remain behind the exposed sharp.

-- The user can easily tell whether the safety feature is activated.

-- The safety feature cannot be deactivated and remains protective through disposal.

-- The device performs reliably.

-- The device is easy to use and practical.

-- The device is safe and effective for patient care.

Have safety-engineered sharps devices achieved what they were supposed to?

In general, yes, according to DeBaun, who adds, “The remaining challenge is to design sharps devices that are truly passive, can’t be bypassed, and don’t cause discomfort for the patient.”