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Survey shows over 50% of dental nurses have had sharps injuries

This recent survey by the British Association of Dental Nurses (BADN), has indicated that just over half of dental nurses in the UK and the Republic of Ireland have had a needlestick injury at some stage throughout their career.

The survey found that:

sharps

  • Just over half of respondents had had a needlestick injury (51%)
  • 60% said they’d received more than one, with 11% saying they’d been injured in the past year
  • The majority of injuries occurred after use/before disposal (41%)
  • Of those who had needlestick injuries, 1.24% acquired a blood-borne virus as a result
  • 52% rated their needlestick injury training as very good, with 29% rating it good
  • 21% said that their practice had not put in place any new safety procedures or safety devices since the Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013 came into effect in May 2013

The survey also looked into product purchases and awareness which found that:

9% of dentists were not aware of safer sharps

44% are aware of the availability of safer sharps but have no intention to purchase

47% have or intend to purchase in the next 12 months

The Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013 came into effect in May 2013 and require employers to use safer sharps incorporating protection mechanisms to prevent or minimise the risk of accidental injury.

HSE has produced an information sheet, Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013, to assist employers and employees to understand their legal obligations under the Regulations.

For general information on managing the risk from sharps injuries please see the HSE website.