ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

A UK hospital cleaner had to wait nearly seven months for the all-clear after sustaining a needlestick injury at work.

The unnamed woman was emptying a clinical waste bin when a needle protruding through the bin liner went through her trousers and pierced her leg.

"I saw a bit of blood and I panicked," she said. "One of my colleagues then sent me across to A&E to get it checked out." The operative underwent blood tests for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C and had to wait for nearly seven months before all the results were returned.

The Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013 from the Health and Safety Executive state that used needles should be placed in a secure container such as a sharps bin. These should be clearly marked and placed close to the areas where medical sharps are used.

However in this case, a lapse from a health professional meant the needle was placed straight in a bin liner. The hospital admitted liability and the cleaner secured a four-figure damages settlement sum through Hudgell Solicitors.

A spokesperson for the firm said the case highlighted the importance of disposing of used needles properly. "The regulations say that training for health professionals must cover the safe use and disposal of medical sharps," he said. "However, in this case it did not occur and caused our client months of unnecessary stress and fear after her leg was pierced."

The cleaner has now returned to work at the same hospital. "I'd been there 21 years and this was the first needlestick injury," she said. "But I'm now nervous and worried when moving bin liners at work in case it happens again."