Sharps Management and Safety Controls
Occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens from needlesticks and other sharps injuries is a serious problem for healthcare personnel, resulting in approximately 385,000 needlesticks and other sharps-related injuries each year. The greatest risk of infection from bloodborne pathogens (BBPs) comes from percutaneous (through the skin) injuries by contaminated sharps such as disposable syringes By following the recommended hierarchy of safety controls and training hospital-based and clinical employees, the risk of BBP infection can be significantly lower, putting an organization and its employees at less risk.
Stericycle’s New Healthcare Workplace Safety Trend Report Provides Key Perspectives for Improving Patient and Provider Safety
Industry growth and the changing landscape of infectious diseases is driving a significant transformation of healthcare, while creating new challenges to overcome. The second annual Healthcare Workplace Safety Trend Report provides healthcare providers’ and administrators’ perspectives on those challenges to help healthcare organizations improve safety standards as well as create a quality care environment for providers and their patients.
Managing Pharmaceutical Waste in Healthcare Facilities
In September of 2022, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released an update to its 10-Step Blueprint for Managing Pharmaceutical Waste in US Healthcare Facilities (The Blueprint). The Blueprint provides a simplified overview for healthcare organizations of EPA’s hazardous waste pharmaceutical regulations (known as Subpart P) and other relevant requirements for managing pharmaceutical waste. Stericycle has summarized a few key topics covered in The Blueprint.