Council Directive 2010/32/EU on preventing sharps injuries in the hospital and healthcare sector

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Are you aware of this legislation which is up for imminent implementation?

Our infection control team are under the impression that we will have to use 'safety scalpels' even though we do not pass scalpels between clinicians and dispose of our scalpels at point of use.

My main issues with implementationis are the models I have seen so far are bulkier and look like they will need more of an attack angle to remove callus than normal scalpels and obviously the cost, which looks like a 10 fold increase on unit cost!

Has anyone considered implementing use of safety scalpels or convinced their risk teams that their current practice is safe and meets the directive?

Please be gentle first post!

 

knew it applied to needles but scalpels wow no more blade changing expensive.

 

Hi Bails & :welcome: to Podiatry Arena,

Any chance you could upload an image of the 'safety scalpel' please. I'm intrigued.

chainmail tunics may also be a consideration given the urgent need for health & safety.

Can almost certainly believe those pushing for these changes aren't those using scalpels!

Change can be very useful although only usually if it makes an improvement not just to generate more work or waste. Only my 2p.

Kind regards, Mandy.

 

There are quite a lot of examples, however they all seem to either retract the blade into the handle or have an integral cover that slides over the blade.

We already use dispodable scalpels to eliminate the risk of blade removal.

Link to google images below.


http://www.google.co.uk/search?tbm=....5.0.79.674.10.10.0...0.0...1ac.1.kYHNM7VMOQE

 

I tried to reply with a link to google but the spam police intercepted it!

probably just easier to google 'safety scalpels'

 

Perhaps we should all change to a plastic butter knife for complete safety
And as Twirls suggested chain mail with perhaps flippers snorkel goggles and a silly hat ??

Do these people have no common sense at all ? Sharp things are designed to cut and stab, WE cut and stab to do our job effectively with scalpels and needles.

When I qualified we had solid scalpels and had to hone and strop them to get an edge, they were more dangerous than disposable blades because of skipping off of hard tissue and at times tinc benz was applied to give purchase to the blade to help prevent flying off the hard skin.

I saw more cut fingers and hands then than I have ever seen after their demise and that is an aside to the pain and discomfort the patient suffered as at times the scalpel lost its edge mid TX

This sounds to me like another numpty health and safety E U directive perhaps? :bash:

Cheers
D

 

OOPs sorry Craig never gave that a thought

I will try harder in future
Cheers
D

 

I have just remembered an article ( could have been on here in a newsbot article) that said the sharp suture needles are to be replaced in the NHS with blunt as it was the biggest cause of needle stick injuries ??

That probably made this spam believable on first reading.

Cheers
D

 

Unfortunately the message/EU directive is not spam.

Just desperation to try to keep treating peple safely within reasonable cost with reasonable equipment that is fit for purpose, and to finf=d out if opthers are having problems implementing or success in avoiding transferring to safety scalpels.

I guess the problem with making things idiot proof is that they then become dangerous in the hands of non-idiots.