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needles and sharps

All Health & Safety issues in here.
java
Posts: 2
Joined: 30 Dec 2008, 09:34
Gender: Male

needles and sharps

Post by java »

A postman in our office has had a needle stick injury whilst emptying a box as far as I know this is a first, surely this can not be the case. Info and advice needed
brothermagrew
Posts: 3015
Joined: 06 Aug 2007, 16:38
Gender: Male
Location: Shares a border with England to the south.

Re: needles and sharps

Post by brothermagrew »

java wrote:A postman in our office has had a needle stick injury whilst emptying a box as far as I know this is a first, surely this can not be the case. Info and advice needed
1. Not a first.
2. Get the Safety Rep onto the manager's case.
3. More importantly get the individual concerned checked out by his GP immediately incase he/she has been contaminated with (BBV) blood-borne viruses they most certainly will have to have some tests done.
4. See the office manual Safe Systems of Work somewhere in it there should be information on Sharps.
5. Make sure that at the earliest WTLL session the safety rep makes clear to all membes of staff what the procedure is for dealing with Sharps.
6. As the individual concerned has been injured they should consider putting a claim in against RM.

The main risk posed by needle-stick injury to workers is exposure of the worker to blood-borne viruses (BBV). The main viruses concerned are:

Hepatitis B (HBV).
Hepatitis C (HCV) and
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Suggest you also do a google search for needlestick injuries.
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