Sharps injuries can be incredibly serious, and they are not just limited to medical and care staff. Many other industries, such as waste disposal can also come into contact with used sharps, so it is important to understand what the risks are.
This Sharps Awareness online course will look at some of the statistics relating to discarded needles as well as defining the different types of sharps that can be found in sharps litter, including things such as needles, syringes, scalpel blades, broken glass, knives, scissors and even nails. It will also look at the primary and secondary risk from sharps and the responsibilities of employers to use risk assessments to ensure workers safety as much as possible.
The course also takes a very important look at Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV and tetanus, as well as including a section on the chain of infection to help understand how infections are passed on and what steps can be taken to break the chain. It will also look at what your probability is of picking up an infection from a needle stick injury and talk about how to handle discarded shops safely, including what equipment you might need, the correct techniques you should employ and the correct sharps handling procedures. It will also cover how to report discarded sharps and the steps to follow if you are unfortunate enough to receive a sharps injury yourself.
This Sharps Awareness e-learning course is not just aimed at medical and care staff, but anyone who might come into contact with sharps waste during their working day. It allows them to have a good understanding of the best practise when it comes to handling sharps, disposing of them and dealing with injuries that might occur as a result of coming into contact with them.
There are many dangers associated with sharps, and it is important that you understand these if you are at risk of coming into contact with them. It is also essential that you understand safe handling techniques and the use of appropriate PPE to help ensure you are protected at all times. This course is approved by leading bodies such as IOSH, IIRSM and CPD to ensure that you have the benefit of a full suite of interactive video based online education.
