COVID-19 has put an unprecedented amount of pressure on healthcare systems across the nation these past few months. That has understandably made healthcare compliance education and other vital initiatives a lower priority. However, with vaccines providing a light at the end of the tunnel, administrators must take time to catch up on compliance issues, such as sharps safety, in their facilities if they want to avoid severe fines.

Sharps safety compliance is critical, given that vaccines for COVID-19 and the flu will help pave the way to a safer future. Here are the main components of an effective sharps safety plan:Talk With Your Team

The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act was a law passed to increase workplace safety for healthcare workers. Part of the law requires that hospital administrators regularly survey their frontline workers to get input on what features management should be looking for when selecting sharps for use in a clinical setting.

With sharps injuries creating a significant risk of infection in healthcare workers, getting feedback from nurses and doctors can help guide decisions to keep workers safe. While you don’t necessarily need to enact every recommendation, you do need to provide the opportunity to offer feedback that could help your healthcare system in the long run.Review Your Sharps Safety Plans

The regulations around sharps require that every healthcare provider has a plan to ensure the safe usage and disposal of sharps in a clinical setting. It’s crucial for administrators to regularly review the plan they have in place and update it periodically to account for changes in regulations and public health situations, like the pandemic.Consult the Handbook

The CDC has published various tools that healthcare administrators can use to develop their own sharps safety plan. All these tools have been collated on the CDC’s Sharps Injury Prevention Program resource page.

If you’re unfamiliar with what needs to be included in your sharps safety program or need to refresh a few of the finer details about sharps safety and regulation compliance, the CDC’s resource page is a great starting point.

For more detailed information about complying with sharps injury prevention regulations, or discuss healthcare and medical eLearning solutions, contact MedTrainer today!