Sharps Awareness

There is a common misconception that sharps injuries are only of concern to medical and care staff. However it is not uncommon for people in other industries such as waste disposal to come into contact with used sharps. In this course we’ll start by looking at some statistics relating to discarded needles, then define ‘sharps’ and look at the different types that can be found in ‘sharps litter’, ranging from needles, syringes and scalpel blades to broken glass, knives, scissors and nails. It then covers the primary and secondary risks from sharps. It’ll look at the responsibilities of employers and how they must use risk assessment to ensure workers safety, as much as possible.