Get George Washington University Safety Needle/sharps Evaluation Form 2002-2025

What to do if you receive a sharps injury Encourage the wound to gently bleed, ideally holding it under running water. Wash the wound using running water and plenty of soap. Don't scrub the wound while you are washing it. Don't suck the wound. Dry the wound and cover it with a waterproof plaster or dressing.

Put needles or similar medical supplies into the sharps bin immediately after using them and do not try to take them out again. Only fill the bin to where it says "Do not fill above this line". Keep your sharps bin in a safe place so it's not a risk to other people and is out of the sight and reach of children.

Keep the object pointed away from yourself and other people at all times. Never recap or bend a sharp object. Keep your fingers away from the tip of the object. If the object is reusable, put it in a secure, closed container after you use it.

An effective sharps injury prevention program includes several components that must work in concert to prevent healthcare personnel from suffering needlesticks and other sharps-related injuries. This program plan is designed to be integrated into existing performance improvement, infection control, and safety programs.

Other recommendations for using sharps include never bending, breaking, or recapping needles or blades. Always maintain visual contact with sharps during use. Immediately placing needles and other sharps into a sharps disposable container is instrumental when using sharps.

Needles should not be resheathed, unless an appropriate re-capping device is available. Sharps (needles, scalpel blades, razor blades) are to be disposed of into approved impermeable sharps containers designated for the disposal of sharps.

Sharps Safety Eliminate sharps from procedures or substitute for safer sharps devices as appropriate. Develop written procedures to handle sharps safely. Train all staff working with sharps. Dispose of sharps properly. Prepare for exposure and spill response.

Sharps contaminated with an infected patient's blood can transmit more than 20 diseases, including hepatitis B, C and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Because of this transmission risk, sharps injuries can cause worry and stress to the many thousands who receive them.

Sharps are defined as a device with physical characteristics having the potential to puncture, lacerate or otherwise penetrate the skin. These may include contaminated hypodermic needles, syringes, disposable scalpel blades, intact or broken glass and/or hard plastic.