Sharp legal practice

A new UK law comes into force on 11 May that requires employers to provide better protection against accidents caused by sharp instruments.

The Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013 implement the EU Directive 2010/2013 on preventing needlesticks and sharps injuries in the hospital and health and social care sector, introducing new and updated measures to protect staff. The regulations come into force on 12 May. They include a requirement to provide safer needle systems, warding against injury to those using needle devices, as well as anyone involved in laundry, decontamination and waste management. The regulations are also designed to protect healthcare staff from being exposed to the diseases and infections needlesticks and sharps may carry.

Douglas Blair, chair of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s healthcare group, said: “The number of sharps injuries we see in our health and social care facilities are way too high and that’s a problem, as with the right protective measures in place, they are actually preventable.”

A copy of the regulations is at: www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/645/made