BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2013; u586.w511 doi: 10.1136/bmjquality.u586.w511 Reducing the risk of needlestick injuries in hospital

After performing procedures involving sharps, many wards in St George's Hospital have no quick and accessible 'point of care ' sharps bin for their safe disposal. Instead one must transport potentially hazardous equipment away from the bedside, risking injury and exposure to persons en route. Results from a questionnaire showed that 73 % felt they were indeed poorly placed, 95 % felt a portable sharps bin system was a good idea, and 95 % felt their introduction would be safer. A one month trial of portable sharps bins on the Acute Medical Unit (AMU) showed that 97 % felt that the portable sharps bin system reduced risk to themselves and others, 81 % felt safer using them, and 90 % felt safer knowing their colleagues were using them too. A recent audit in a six month period within 2012 established there were 148 reported needlestick injuries in St George's Hospital. This quality improvement project showed that a majority consensus felt that a portable sharps bin system would be safer than the system currently used and could potentially help reduce these numbers. This project also comes at a time when new EU legislation calls for safer sharps use and disposal and thus offers a solution to ultimately provide better, safer and more advanced safety practices when disposing of sharp equipment. Problem After performing procedures involving one or multiple sharp pieces of equipment or 'sharps ' there is often no quick and accessibl