How can you prevent injuries from sharps?

To prevent injuries from sharps:

• Handle hypodermic needles and other sharps minimally after use and use extreme care whenever sharps are handled or passed.
• Use the "hands-free" technique (described below) when passing sharps during clinical procedures.
• Do not bend, break, or cut hypodermic needles before disposal.
• Do not recap needles.
• Dispose of hypodermic needles and other sharps properly.

If needles must be recapped,
use the "one-hand" technique...

Handling sharps

During a clinical procedure, health care workers can accidentally stick one another or their clients when passing sharps, especially when there is sudden motion by staff members carrying unprotected sharps, when clients move suddenly during injections, or when sharps are left lying in areas where they are unexpected (such as on surgical drapes).

Safe passing of sharp instruments

Uncapped or otherwise unprotected sharps should never be passed directly from one person to another. In the operating theater or procedure room, pass sharp instruments in such a way that the surgeon and assistant are never touching the item at the same time. This way of passing sharps is known as the "hands-free" technique:

1. The assistant places the instrument in a sterile kidney basin or in a designated "safe zone" in the sterile field.
2. The assistant tells the service provider that the instrument is in the kidney basin or safe zone.
3. The service provider picks up the instrument, uses it, and returns it to the basin or safe zone.

When giving injections:

• Unexpected client motion at the time of injection can lead to accidental needlesticks. Therefore, always warn clients when you are about to give them an injection.
• To protect clients, always use proper client preparation when giving an injection, and be sure that you handle IV fluids and multidose vials correctly. (More information on these topics appears in the Introduction to Aseptic Technique module of this course.)

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