2. 2
Agenda
– Blood Borne Pathogen exposures through contaminated sharps are the single
most dangerous injury that an employee may encounter at a busy plasma center.
– Every employee regardless of their job title must know where each of the risk
factors are for the areas of the plasma center and the tasks they perform on a
daily basis.
– Safety equipment, PPE, thorough and consistent training as well as personal
safety precautions are crucial in preventing an accidental exposure.
– Never get complacent in knowing where the hazards exist.
– Your personal safety is priority number one.
– Contaminated sharps injuries are preventable!
Within an 11 day period in January 2017, GPO employees encountered 8 potentially
contaminated sharp injuries and are undergoing post exposure testing protocol for
potential exposure to HIV, Hepatitis , as well as 20 other potentially infectious pathogens.
Contaminated Sharps Incident Trends
(2016-2017)
3. Contaminated Sharps By Type
3
Blood Borne Pathogens exposures through contaminated
sharps are the single most dangerous injury that employees
may encounter at a busy plasma center.
5. Needle Guard Alignment
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Properly retracted needle
In some instances the needle may not fully retract into the needle guard:
•Use Extreme Caution !!
•Don’t use excessive force or manipulate it in an effort to fix the alignment.
•Accidental needle sticks have occurred when attempting to “fix” the alignment.
•Never allow your fingers to go beyond the needle guard and into the danger zone.
•Hold the Wingeater with the needle tip down and immediately dispose of
it in the sharps container.
•The needle tip is not exposed
•The needle wings are straight and fully retracted.
Danger Danger Safe
(No needle tip exposed)
Needle Guard
Danger Zone
7. Preferred Safer Taping Techniques
Remember to keep tape off of the wings if at all possible.
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8. Capillary Tube Safety
• Safepettes can malfunction and cause capillary tubes to
chip if not properly cleaned and maintained.
• Improper technique/forcing capillary tubes into Safepette
will result in glass chipping/cracking
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Proper vs Improper technique
9. 99
Proper Safepette Loading
• Pull back on the black ejector ring, while holding the capillary tube between your thumb
and forefinger with the sealed (white) end facing the dispenser.
• Gently push the capillary tube into the dispenser.
• Release the ejector ring. (Keep your finger and hands off the black ejector ring to allow
it to move freely).The dispenser will automatically grab the capillary tube and spring
into place.
• Deliver the sample by expelling the desired volume of fluid onto the refractometer by
slowly depressing the plunger. Release the plunger when the operation is completed.
10. Sample Cannula Safety
• It may be necessary to adjust a sample cannula from time to time.
• Accidental insertion of a finger or thumb into the cannula opening will
result in a puncture wound.
• Please take extra caution to keep fingers away from cannula
opening.
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This is what you see This is what you don’t see
11. Overfilled Sharps Containers
• SOP’s require discontinued use of a sharps container when it becomes ¾ full.
• Always have a new, empty sharps container within reach for an easy
transition from the ¾ full container to an empty container.
• Know your sharps container and where the ¾ full line is.
• Make sure the appropriate sharps container is being used for each area.
– Does the contaminated sharp free fall into the container without any manipulation?
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