The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is currently undertaking a post-implementation review (PIR) of the Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013 (referred to as Sharps Regulations).  To participate in the survey please click here.

Though the survey is intended for those who are front end healthcare workers, and reads as something of a PR exercise in gathering evidence to generate self-praise for HSE, the general intention is, of course, excellent.

Have a go, and get your colleges to complete the questionnaire also. It might make a difference, though I wouldn’t hold your breath!

The glaring omission is the focus in this legislation on healthcare professionals only. What about those in the waste industries, cleaners, and local authority workers, and the many others who are exposed to used sharps in clearly unsafe circumstances on an almost daily basis?

Addressing those additional risks is managed within the generality of health and safety legislation. However, to extend the Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013 beyond healthcare would send a very strong message to all of those employers who fail to ensure protection o their staff and others, with appropriate PPE, training and occupational health support etc.

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