Sharps Awareness

£49 Exc VAT

In this video learning course you’ll learn about the prevalence and different types of ‘sharps litter’ that can be found in the UK. As well as the primary and secondary risks from sharps including some of the common blood borne viruses. It also covers the responsibilities of employers, the equipment needed, the effectiveness of PPE and how to report discarded sharps and the correct procedures to follow if you’re unlucky enough to receive a sharps injury.

Watch Video

To use

, please spend more than £50

CPD, IIRSM & IOSH Approved

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 video learning 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.

The video learning course will then take a detailed look at Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV and Tetanus. They’ll be a section on the Chain of Infection, helping you to understand how an infection gets passed on, and what steps can be taken to break the chain and stop the process. It’ll look at the probability of picking up an infection from a needlestick injury, and the factors that can affect this.

It’s important to always handle discarded sharps safely so the course will take you through the equipment you need, including litter pickers, forceps, disinfectant sprays and gloves, along with the correct techniques you should employ to avoid injury.

This subject will be further expanded on by detailing the correct sharps handling procedures, including how to dispose of discarded sharps safely, how to remove disposable gloves to minimise cross-contamination, and correct hand washing procedures.

Finally, it’ll cover how to report discarded sharps and the correct procedures to follow if you’re unlucky enough to receive a sharps injury.

Pass percent required: 70%

Sharps Awareness Learning Objectives

By the end of This video learning course, you will be able to:

Recognise the safety implications of using Sharps, whether clinical or non-clinical.
State the associated injuries and infections associated with usage of sharps. Understand employer risk assessments regarding sharps and what to do if you are injured.
Define the chain of infection from a sharps injury.
Identify susceptible employees and the chance of injury resulting in infection.
Demonstrate understanding of the effective use of equipment for the safe handling and disposal of sharps.

Target Audience

This video learning course is aimed at anyone who may come into contact with sharps waste whilst performing their day to day working activities. This includes people working in healthcare, waste disposal and a wide range of other industries.

Further Progression

There are a lot of courses in our health and safety and health and social care suites that would make great follow ups to this course and if you are in the adult social care sector then they would all provide valuable additions to your knowledge. Specific topics that compliment this directly are Diabetes Awareness and Introduction to Personal Safety for Lone Workers.

Recommended System Requirements:

Browser: Up to date web browser
Video: Up to date video drivers
Memory: 1Gb+ RAM
Download Speed: Broadband (3Mb+)

Duration: 55 minutes (Note: This is based on the amount of video content shown and is rounded off. It does not account in any way for loading time or thinking time on the questions).