Sharps and needlestick injuries are a serious occupational health risk for those in the healthcare industry. This is especially true for medical students who still lack the clinical experience and expertise needed to properly handle and care for sharps. In addition to medical students, students studying biology and other sciences that use scalpels are at …
Swiss Cheese – An Important Part of Injury Prevention.
No one goes to work to injure themselves or those around them. Healthcare nurses, doctors, and technicians for example, are trained to do quite the opposite. Despite their best efforts however, we must remember that injuries can still happen on accident. The healthcare industry can create risky work environments, where the possibility of injuries is …
Clinical Contamination Control
Automated (passive) scalpel blade removers (SBRs) are used by doctors, podiatrists, and healthcare workers all around the world. They provide a single-handed way of removing scalpel blades that is far safer than traditional methods like using forceps and reduce contamination. The Qlicksmart BladeFLASK, for example, is one of the world’s first single-handed scalpel blade removers. It …
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Under-reporting scalpel injuries: the risks to healthcare staff and institutions
In 2008, a survey by the Royal College of Nursing found that while 50% of nurses had sustained a sharps injury, only 10% of those injuries were reported. This means that even in dangerous situations where there are safety risks, approximately 90% of sharps injuries are not reported. A sharps injury such as a scalpel …
Scalpel Blade Removers: One Hand Is Better Than Two
Scalpel blade removers are designed to protect the user and downstream staff from accidental injury when removing a scalpel blade from a reusable handle. These devices fall into two classes: two-handed scalpel blade removers and single-handed scalpel blade removers. TWO-HANDED REMOVERS PUTS THE USER AT RISK The two-handed devices are not endorsed by any …
How Being Proactive Can Prevent Sharps Injuries
Being proactive can help prevent sharps injuries before they happen. By preventing injuries, a medical establishment is likely to make staff and patients feel safer, increase moral and productivity, and save money that would have otherwise been spent in the case of an injury. Injuries from medical sharps can be expensive and pose a significant …