Sharps Regulations 2013: HSE Sharp Instruments in Healthcare

Regulatory citation: Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013 (SI 2013/645)

What Are the Sharps Regulations?

The Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013 set specific requirements to prevent injuries from medical sharps such as needles and scalpels. They came into force on 11 May 2013. A medical sharp is an object or instrument needed for healthcare activities that can cut, prick or cause injury. A safer sharp is one designed with a feature that prevents or minimises the risk of accidental injury.

The Regulations apply to healthcare employers, whose main activity is managing, organising and providing healthcare, and to contractors who provide services to them, such as cleaning, laundry and waste contractors, so far as those contractors control the work.

Why the Sharps Regulations Matter

Sharps injuries can expose workers to blood-borne viruses. The Regulations build on COSHH and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. HSE explains that the COSHH risk assessment should still cover every stage of sharps use, and the Sharps Regulations add specific measures on top.

Core Requirements

1. Avoid Unnecessary Use of Sharps (Regulation 5(1))

Employers must ensure that the use of medical sharps at work is avoided so far as reasonably practicable. HSE guidance suggests using needle-free equipment where it is suitable.

2. Use Safer Sharps (Regulation 5(1))

Where sharps are needed, safer sharps must be used so far as reasonably practicable. HSE advises involving end users in selecting devices and considering patient care, reliability and ease of use. Where no suitable safer sharp exists, safe handling and disposal procedures are needed.

3. Stop Recapping Needles (Regulation 5(1))

Needles must not be recapped after use unless the risk assessment shows recapping is needed to control a risk, and a suitable device is provided to control the injury risk. HSE gives the example of needle blocks that allow one-handed recapping.

4. Provide Secure Disposal Containers (Regulation 5(1))

Clearly marked, secure containers for disposing of sharps, and written instructions for employees, must be placed close to where sharps are used. HSE advises portable containers for staff working away from the employer's premises, such as paramedics and others working in patients' homes.

5. Provide Information and Training (Regulation 6)

Employees at risk must receive information on the risks, legal duties, good practice, the benefits and drawbacks of vaccination and the support available after an injury. Employers must work with safety representatives to develop and promote this information. Training must cover safe use and disposal, correct use of safer sharps, what to do after an injury and health surveillance procedures.

6. Respond to Sharps Injuries (Regulation 7)

When an injury is reported, the employer must record it, investigate the cause and take action to prevent it happening again. Where the employee may have been exposed to a biological agent, the employer must ensure the employee gets medical advice immediately, make treatment such as post-exposure prophylaxis available as advised by a doctor and consider providing counselling.

7. Report Injuries and Review Policies (Regulations 8 and 5(2))

Employees must notify their employer of a sharps injury as soon as practicable and give the information needed to investigate it. Employers must review their sharps procedures at suitable intervals, using injury data, staff feedback and new safer devices.

Common Compliance Approaches

Run a Safer Sharps Trial

Ask clinical staff to trial devices on real procedures before choosing one, so the safety feature is easy to activate and does not affect patient care.

Set Up a 24-Hour Injury Pathway

Make sure staff know who to contact out of hours, so post-exposure prophylaxis can be assessed quickly.

Investigate Proportionately

HSE notes a clean needle injury may need only recording and first aid, while a used needle injury needs a fuller investigation with the findings recorded.

Example: Sharps Controls in Practice

A community nursing service reviews its sharps injury log and finds most injuries happen when nurses dispose of needles in patients' homes. It switches to safety-engineered needles, issues each nurse with a portable sharps container and a pocket card on what to do after an injury, and bans recapping. An occupational health helpline is set up so that injured staff can get immediate advice, and incidents are reviewed every quarter with the safety representatives.

Related regulations: OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens, COSHH hazardous substances, RIDDOR incident reporting.

Note: This summary reflects the law as it applies in Great Britain, enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and other enforcing authorities. Northern Ireland has equivalent but separate legislation. Always check the current legislation and HSE guidance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are sharps injuries reportable under RIDDOR?

HSE says a sharps injury is reportable as a dangerous occurrence when the blood or body fluid involved is known to be infected with a blood-borne virus. It is also reportable if the worker is off work for more than seven consecutive days or develops a blood-borne virus infection as a result.

Do the Sharps Regulations apply to care homes and pharmacies?

HSE guidance says they apply to care homes and pharmacies only where providing healthcare is the organisation's main activity. High street retail pharmacies are generally not covered.

Is recapping needles ever allowed?

Only where the risk assessment shows recapping is needed to control a risk, such as protecting a sterile preparation, and a suitable device is provided that effectively controls the risk of injury.