Injuries from sharps contaminated with an infected patient’s blood can transmit more than 20 diseases

  • Health & Safety
  • 40 languages
  • 15m

Learning outcomes

  • Learn what things are classified as Sharps and the risks posed by them
  • Learn about how to reduce the risk of injury from Sharps and how to dispose of them correctly
  • Learn about employee and employer responsibilities to help reduce the spread of infections

Covered in this course

Course contents

This training course is broken down into 2 sections

  1. 1
    What are Sharps?
  2. 2
    Preventing the spread of infections

About this course

“Sharps” waste is a form of hazardous waste which includes any objects that are used to puncture the skin. These materials must be handled with care and safety.

Annually, there are 16 billion injections administered both in and out of hospitals around the world. However, there are a large number of needles and syringes that are not correctly disposed of and these could cause harm to others.

Safe Needle Disposal gives examples of sharps such as; needles, syringes, lancets, auto-injectors, infusion sets and connection needle/sets. Hence, Sharps is not just exclusive to needles as many think. Anything attached to needles and blades is also considered as Sharps waste and therefore, needs to be disposed of properly.

There are dangers associated with Sharps materials as bloodborne diseases and infections can be passed through them. Some of the diseases connected with Sharps materials are Hepatitis B, C and HIV, but are not exclusive to these three. This risk is, logically, higher to those working within the healthcare industry, however, there are risks to people using needles and blades at home and work. The general public can be put at risk too from improper needle disposal from drug use.

The importance of Sharps Training

It's important that you comply with the law and understand the positive impact this training course can have on your organisation and employees.

Find out more

Available in 40 languages

All inclusive

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Our most popular languages

Italian
German
Romanian
French
Polish
Lithuanian

Sharps Training certificate

Download and print

Each of our courses ends with a multiple-choice test to measure your knowledge of the material.

This Sharps Training course concludes with a 20 question multiple choice test with a printable certificate. In addition, brief in-course questionnaires guide the user through the sections of the training and are designed to reinforce learning and ensure maximum user engagement throughout.

As well as printable user certificates, training progress and results are all stored centrally in your LMS (Learning Management System) and can be accessed any time to reprint certificates, check and set pass marks and act as proof of a commitment to ongoing legal compliance.

What does my certificate include?

Your Sharps Training Certificate includes your name, company name (if applicable), name of course taken, pass percentage, completion date, expiry date and stamps of approval or accreditations by recognised authorities.

Please note if you are using our course content via SCORM in a third party LMS then we are unable to provide certificates and you will need to generate these in your host LMS yourself.

287 real user reviews

4.7

out of 5

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Informative

Training is very good however, it would be awesome if it can be modified to suit FR's particular needs e.g. scalpel blades, microscope slides, needles, and pins (used for Entomology taxonomy.

A useful course especially for health care work but 1 star deducted as there was no option to speed up or slow down the video.

A very useful course but the focus is on health care type sharps especially injections. I would like more content for the same but with blades and razors in beauty treatment and sharps from utility knife or scalpels in arts and workshops too. Also mention if first aiders may be at risk group and therefore need this training and for those handling waste which may have sharps, what precautions to take. Also if there is the function to increase or slow the video speed. Test was good.

Good

Good knowledge

boring, common sense though

This user gave this course a rating of 3/5 stars

Was explainedwellinvideo

This user gave this course a rating of 5/5 stars

It is simple, straight forward and informative.

It is a good introduction to someone who is new to sharp boxes.

The training met my requirements

The training met my requirements however I would have loved to be able to print my own certificate for my own records

great

very good

Why is this training important?

Compliance

It’s important that you comply with the law and know the ways in which it affects you and the way you work.

The Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013

This legislation was created to prevent Sharps injuries in the hospital and healthcare sector. It aims to protect those in the healthcare sector from bloodborne viruses.

The legislation sets out many requirements that are already in Health & Safety Law. The Sharps legislation explains:

  • Who and what the Legislation applies to
  • The safe use & disposal of Sharps
  • Necessary information and training to workers
  • Risk assessments and risk prevention
  • What to do with a Sharps injury

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSWA) is also relevant as it sets out the general responsibilities that employers have for their employees as well as the public, and the responsibility employees have to one another.

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations, 2002 for assessing risks employees are exposed to by hazardous substances and aiming to prevent them. This also includes the use of protective equipment and reducing exposure.

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