Sharps injuries - Further information

This page provides links to sources of guidance, research, and information on management of sharps in health and social care sector.

HSE publications

• Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013 (HSE leaflet HSIS7)
• Blood-borne viruses
• Safety in Health Services Laboratories: Safe working and prevention of infection in clinical laboratories (HSC Health Services Advisory Committee)

HSE Research

• An evaluation of the efficacy of safer sharps devices: Systematic review. Sharps-related injuries carry the risk of serious blood borne infection. A systematic review was undertaken to consider the evidence related to safer sharps devices and their impact on needlestick injury reduction within the healthcare sector.
• Research Report RR1127 covers the work carried out in the post-implementation review (PIR) to the Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013, including interviews, focus groups and online surveys among healthcare employers, managers and employees.

Related HSE websites

Infections at work
This website provides general guidance for ill health caused by exposure to micro-organisms such as bacteria and viruses (commonly know as pathogens, bugs and germs) during work activities.

Non HSE guidance

• Health Protection Agency: Eye of the Needle: United Kingdom Surveillance of Significant Occupational Exposures to Blood Borne Viruses in Healthcare Workers - December 2012
• European Biosafety Network - Toolkit for implementation of European Directive on Prevention from Sharps Injuries
• Guidance for Clinical Health Care Workers: Protection Against Infection with Blood-borne Viruses; Recommendations of the Expert Advisory Group on AIDS and the Advisory Group on Hepatitis. (Department of Health)
• The Health and Social Care Act 2008: Code of Practice for health and adult social care on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance. (Department of Health)
• NHS Employers Manual: The management of health, safety and welfare issues for NHS staff, Chapter 19. Needlestick Management (NHS Employers)

External websites

HSE is not responsible for and cannot guarantee the accuracy of information on sites that it does not manage; a link does not mean HSE endorses the linked site.

• NHS Employers
  NHS Employers provide advice on issues ranging from risk assessment and risk management, through needlesticks and waste management, to the safe disposal of infected cadavers and stress.
• Health Protection Agency (HPA)
  The HPA's blood-borne viruses website provides information and guidance for the occupational setting on the three most recognised blood-borne viruses in the UK, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV.
• Safer Healthcare and Biosafety Network
  The Safer Needles Network is aimed at those concerned with reducing needlestick injuries and blood-borne viruses. The membership of the Network is drawn from the organisations that represent healthcare workers, such as trade unions and professional organisations, individual clinicians with expertise and manufacturers of the different technologies. HSE is a member of the network.
• Royal College of Nursing (RCN)
• Unison