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Safety Corner: Sharps

When working in the community, in peoples own homes it must become more important than ever to be continually assessing the environment that you work in – for you, and your clients’ safety.

We cannot control peoples own home living environments, but we can assess it and be alert to any risks. This is helped by your office managers risk assessment that is completed in every house at the commencement of service and reassessed annually or if a situation changes.

Please make sure you read the risk assessment, present in every white folder in each clients house and know the risks to watch out for. Remember, a clients own home environment can change from day to day so assess your work environment – through observation at each shift. If you have any concerns, please call your local office and report it to your line manager.

Sharps – including syringes and other medical devices can be a serious occupational hazard for any healthcare worker.

If you are working with a client who requires the use of sharps as part of their medical treatment plan, you will be informed of this at the introduction. It will also be included in the clients’ care plan and risk assessment.

A sharps container must always be present in the house to accommodate the safe disposal of used sharps by the client or their family.

Comfort Keepers staff must never touch used syringes or other sharp medical equipment.

Should an accident occur and a needle stick/sharps injury occur, the following immediate steps must be taken.

Employee’s  first action:

  • Encourage site to bleed
  • Wash with soap and running water for at least 3minutes
  • Do not suck the wound
  • Dab dry gently
  • Apply a loose dressing

Report to your line manager immediately (or out of hours service) as soon as it is safe to do so. Complete incident report. You will then be guided and fully supported in the next steps by the office.

Safety is everyone’s responsibility and is of the highest priority.

Have a Safe Day!

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