Syringe pens……again!
The Clinical Waste Discussion Forum has reported widespread concern about these novelty syringe pens that too easily can be mistaken by children for the real thing. A small wound, a hysterical mother […]
needlestick
Backstreet tattoos
Concern in Hartlepool about several backstreet tattooists operating there. “Several investigations have recently been carried out in Hartlepool into unregistered tattoo and piercing businesses operating out of private homes. “Those […]
Sharps injury prevention for hospital workers
A potentially interesting paper published recently in the International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics reports the incidence of sharps injuries in hospital staff in Turkey. Though the journal is […]
Saving money
Difficult financial times sometimes demand difficult decisions to be made in order to save money. As the recession bites, the number of examples will become more but for now it […]
A reluctant win
Some years ago, when safety sharps were first brought to the market, I had a wager with a close friend. This predicted that, after some settling in time when users get […]
Compensation paid to council staff – needlesticks
The consequences of a sharps injury can be grave. Though the incidence of seroconversion is fortunately low there are still many transmission events of HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, […]
Managing drug abuse and associated litter – Australia
Managing IV drug abuse and its associated drug litter is an almost impossible task. Requiring the involvement of many different agencies, the solutions are impossible to identify and in general […]
Manhunt after North London needle attacks
Detectives are trying to identify a man suspected of stabbing two women with a sharp implement, thought to be a needle, in north London. At 9.30am on Friday 18th November […]
Sharps bins installed at Occupy London for used hypodermic needles
The City of London Corporation has said that sharp bins have been put in place at the St Paul’s protest camp site after police found drug paraphernalia, including needles, littered […]
Novel contraption for Vietnam clinical wastes
A clinical waste incinerator built by a local farmer may not be totally efficient and pollution free but it’s churning through waste that was otherwise dangerous and time consuming to […]
Needle-free vaccinations
The use of syringes for vaccination is set to decline, affecting also the volume of sharps waste as work continues on alternate delivery systems for common vaccines. Some oral products […]
Medical waste contaminating blue bins
Thurrock council uses blue bins for domestic recyclacbles. They have been complaining that “some residents are costing it money buy throwing medical waste in their blue bins” – never mind […]
Needles threaten recycling employees
The appearance of used needles in wastes intended for recycling seems to be remarkably common. Why this is so is difficult to define but in the absence of an effective disposal […]
Oxford drug litter
Just beyond sight of the academic and commercial heart of Oxford, drug abuse has come very dramatically to the surface manifest by many used syringes and needles being discarded under a […]
Compensation for sharps injury
The amount of compensation awarded for a sharps injury varies widely. It seems to make some, but not much, difference if the courts get involved compared with the scale of […]
How not to pick up discarded syringes and needles
Sussex County (US) beaches are still littered with wastes including clinical waste. Though most reports assume that syringes and needles are washed ashore with on the tide there is little evidence […]
Prison needle exchange scheme?
There is no doubt that in US and UK prisons, needles are a widespread problem and major health risk. The risk of sharps injury is high since needles are not […]
Needles found on busy Flintshire street
A news report tells of a number of needles found with black refuse sack on a street in Flintshire, and the finder just happened to be the local mayor! With […]
More clinical waste on US beaches
It seems to be a particular affliction for American beaches, that so often they suffer from clinical and related wastes washed up on the tide. This time it’s Slaughter Beach […]
Dentist in trouble for sharps disposal violation
A Massachusetts dentist is being sued by the U.S. Department of Labor for allegedly firing an employee for raising concerns about needlestick hazards and filing a health hazard complaint with […]
Schoolgirl goes on rampage with needle
A Puerto Rican schoolgirl stabbed 37 classmates with a hypodermic needle after going on a playground rampage. Health officials in say the attack by the 14-year-old happened at lunchtime in the […]
Sharps injury – a personal story
For anyone uncertain or unconvinced about the implications of a sharps injury or blood exposure, take a look at the video by the CDC’s STOP STICKS Campaign. This 9-minute video […]
Disposal-related sharps injuries
“Almost 200 staff suffered injuries from contaminated needles or sharp medical instruments at the region’s main hospitals in just 12 months. “Hull And East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust said 197 […]
Medical waste closes 8 Long Island beaches
Eight Long Island beaches have closed after medical waste washed ashore. Dozens of needles, syringes, pill bottles and other medical wastes were found by lifeguards. Last updated: Thursday, October 11, […]
Adrenaline ‘pens’
Adrenaline pens carried by those who are prone to potentially devastating anaphylactic (allergic) reactions are becoming increasingly common. Several incidents have been reported, of carelessly discarded or lost pens, and […]
Motel needlestick horror
A Texas woman was treated at Cumberland Medical Center’s emergency room after lying down in bed and then being stuck in the hand by a used syringe, according to police […]
HSE sharps injury advice updated
The HSE sharps injury advice page has recently been updated. http://www.hse.gov.uk/healthservices/needlesticks/index.htm Last updated: Saturday, August 13, 2011
Who suffers most sharps injuries and body fluid exposures?
Sharps injury, and to a lesser extend blood and body fluid exposures, are a constant problem for health professionals and great attention is given to its prevention. However, we have raised […]
€10,000 for needle ‘scare’
A toddler who may have suffered a needlestick injury while playing in a medical centre, has been awarded €10,000. In September 2007, 18-month-old Callum Wynne and his brother had been in the […]
Free webinar on sharps safety in non-hospital settings
The International Healthcare Worker Safety Center is sponsoring a free webinar on a much overlooked topic: “Achieving Sharps Safety Compliance in Non-Hospital Healthcare Settings.” Last updated: Sunday, October 10, 2021