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Needless injuries caused by unsafe devices
6,800 workers in BC health care are stuck by a sharp or needle each year. Injuries from contaminated needles and other sharps devices can transmit more than 20 blood borne pathogens. The AIDS virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus pose the greatest risk. The US Centre for Disease Control estimates 62 to 88 percent of sharps injuries can be prevented by the use of safer medical devices.
Campaigning for safer sharps
BCNU is campaigning for strong rules to protect nurses and other workers from the risk of injury from needles and other sharp medical devices.
BCNU Presenation to WorkSafe BC
Learn more
and
help make a difference
for safer sharp devices.
Being injured by a potentially contaminated medical sharp frequently results in the worker being required to undergo anti-retroviral treatment. This treatment alone makes the worker very sick. The injured worker is subject to the stress of waiting to find out if testing reveals they have contracted a disease from the blood borne pathogen.
While there have been advances in the prevention of medical sharps injuries the BCNU is working with other health care unions, HSA, HEU and SEIU, for the implementation of OH&S regulation requiring the use of Safety Engineered Medical Devices (SEMDs). These devices prevent medical sharp injuries either by eliminating the sharp or guarding the sharp after use
For further information on the prevention of medical sharps injuries follow the links to these sites:
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