Did you know there are around 100,000 sharps injuries in the UK each year?

This means healthcare workers across the country run the very real risk of developing potentially life-threatening diseases because of a needlestick prick.

In fact, the disease transmission rates after a sharps injury is estimated to be one in three for hepatitis B, one in 30 for hepatitis C and one in 300 for HIV.

Typically, most injuries occur after an injection has been administered, with the cost of diagnosis after an incident amounting to approximately £6,500.

Dental Practitioners Particularly At Risk

Worryingly, according to the British Dental Journal, there’s a 56 per cent chance a dental practitioner will receive a needlestick injury each year – which means there’s still some work to do to make sure healthcare workers are safe from harm.

At Initial, we recommend all practitioners use safety syringes, as they offer a quick and easy way to reduce the risk of injuries. In addition, it’s vital all syringes are disposed of safely, as all waste producers are held responsible for safe and legal disposal.

The best advice we can give you, however, is to work with trained sharps experts such as ourselves, who’ll safely and securely deal with disposals and advise your business on the correct products that comply with legislation in the UK and the EU.

For more information about needlestick safety in your workplace, please get in touch with a member of the team at Initial – we’d love to help.