In an announcement made last week, the European Union has come up with some tough measures to protect health workers with some new guidelines. The guidelines have been presented with an aim to help reduce the risk to healthcare staff from sharps and needles. On an average, about 100,000 cases of sharps and needlestick injuries occur in the NHS in a year.
UNISON’s Head of Health, Karen Jennings, was the key person involved in a series of meetings and negotiations held at the EU level between the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) and the European hospital and healthcare employers’ association, HOSPEEM.
The focal point of the agreement is to lower the rate of injuries due to these causes and coming up with suitable response if an injury does occur. Health and safety training is essential; for managers and supervisors IOSH training is designed to provide you with the knowledge to manage safely and effectively in compliance with both your organisation’s policy and best practice in health and safety, click on IOSH Distance Learning for info on a tailored course to suit your needs of your team.
Jennings conveyed her pleasure at the outcome of the deliberations and complimented the unions on their hard work and determination. She also stated that exposing thousands of NHS workers every year to dirty needles is unwarranted and inhumane, when safer needles are available at competitive prices.
Citing cases of death among health workers due to accidents involving needles, Jennings also said that such injuries can cause enormous agony and pain and may also lead to potentially life threatening diseases such as hepatitis and AIDS. Moreover, it is far more cost effective to provide safer needles, taking into account the huge amount of money that would otherwise be spent on treating persons with needlestick injuries, sickness absence, compensation and so on.