Sharps Awareness

This course commences by touching on statistics relating to discarded needles, then define 'sharps' and look at the different types that can be found in 'sharps litter', ranging from needles, syringes and scalpel blades to broken glass, knives, scissors and nails.

It covers the primary and secondary risks from sharps and Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV and Tetanus. This Sharps Awareness course has a section on the Chain of Infection and looks at the responsibilities employers have and how they must use risk assessment to ensure the working environment is as safe as possible.

There is a common misconception that sharps injuries are only of concern to medical and care staff. However, it is not uncommon for people in other industries such as waste disposal to come into contact with used sharps. Having knowledge of the probability of picking up an infection from a needlestick injury, and the factors that can affect this is another topic this course touches on.

It's important to always handle discarded sharps safely so the course will take you through the equipment you and the correct techniques you should employ to avoid injury. This subject will be further expanded on by detailing the correct sharps handling procedures, including how to dispose of discarded sharps safely, how to remove disposable gloves to minimise cross-contamination, and correct hand washing procedures.

Finally, this Sharps Awareness Course will cover how to report discarded sharps and the correct procedures to follow if you're unlucky enough to receive a sharps injury. Knowledge of the dangers associated with sharps, safe handling techniques and use of appropriate PPE will help you to protect yourself from the dangers.