Hi Diane,

 

If it helps, I can pull customized EPINet data for you and see exactly where and during what procedures sharps handling / disposal injuries are occurring.  It may help you to compare what’s happening in your facility to what’s happening in the larger hospital / healthcare aggregate.  This provides great information for targeted interventions, education and training.

 

For example, I can do a custom report for the following categories, if you think it would be useful.  Out of the 10,049 total sharps injuries we have (2003-2012), other than during use, the largest incidence is during multi-step procedures, after use / but before disposal (these are often due to poor placement of sharps container), device left out of container.  I can pull the “other” category for you as well, I’m sure there are “odd ways” in there as you note.  Some we have include; stuck by nurse next to me, security stuck during pat down, needle in iv access, and more.

Did the injury occur?

            1 Before use of item                                                                                       165                            1.6%

            2 During use of item                                                                                     4,181                           41.6%

            3 Between steps of a multi-step procedure                                                        1,321                           13.1%

            4 Disassembling device or equipment                                                                 300                            3.0%

            5 In preparation for reuse of reusable instruments                                                139                            1.4%

            6 While recapping a used needle                                                                        309                            3.1%

            7 Withdrawing a needle from rubber or other resistance                                         154                            1.5%

            8 Other after use, before disposal                                                                    1,408                           14.0%

            9 From item left on or near disposal container                                                       30                            0.3%

            10 While putting the item into the disposal container                                             441                            4.4%

            11 After disposal, stuck by item protruding from disposal container                         101                            1.0%

            12 Item pierced side of disposal container                                                            15                            0.1%

            13 After disposal, item protruding from trash bag or inapp container                       134                            1.3%

            14 Other, describe                                                                                           793                            7.9%

            15 Restraining patient                                                                                       57                            0.6%

            16 Device left on floor, table, bed or other inappropriate place                                501                            5.0%

Total records:    10,049

 

Let me know how EPINet and the International Safety Center can help.

 

Regards.

 

Amber

 

 

Amber Hogan Mitchell, DrPH, MPH, CPH

President | Executive Director

phone | +1.713.816.0013

email | amber.mitchell@internationalsafetycenter.org

online | www.internationalsafetycenter.org

 

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Safer Workers | Better Healthcare

 

 

 

From: MCOH-EH [mailto:mcoh-eh-bounces+amber.mitchell=internationalsafetycenter.org@mylist.net] On Behalf Of Diane Shaw
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2015 2:12 PM
To: mcoh-eh@mylist.net
Subject: [MCOH-EH] Education for Safe Sharps Handling and Best practices

 

How are you educating your staff and sharps handing? We have BBP exposure booklets while questionnaires upon hire, and then a computer course yearly. We also have a post exposure computer course that is required, plus the employee is issued a Safety Concern Memo which stays in their file for 12 months and is then shredded, should no other exposures occur in that time frame.  However, we are having some exposures happening in odd ways  and there doesn’t seem to be any common threads.

 

Any idea on new educational materials or methods would be helpful.

 

Thanks!

 

 

Diane M. Shaw, RN, BSN, CIC

Tuality Healthcare

Employee Health Services

335 S.E. 8th Ave

Hillsboro, OR 97123

Phone: 503.681.1444

Fax: 503.681.4170

Tues.-Fri. 0730-1700 hours

 

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