DELEGATES
Debra Adams
Consultant Advisor,
Assistant Director of
Infection Prevention and
Control, NHS England
and NHS Improvement:
Midlands, UK
Marion Commane
Infection Control Nurse
Specialist, Ireland
Maria Piedad Del Amo
Head of Service,
Occupational Health and
Safety, University Hospital
‘Rio-Ortega’, Valladolid,
Spain
Anna Garus-Pakowska
Assistant Professor and
Chair of Hygiene and
Epidemiology, Department
of Hygiene and Health
Promotion, Medical
University of Lodz, Poland
Gabriella De Carli
Senior Registrar and
Consultant, Department
of Epidemiology and
Pre-Clinical Research,
National Institute for
Infectious Diseases
‘Lazzaro Spallanzani’ -
IRCCS, Rome, Italy
Zita Kolder
Occupational Hygienist,
Erasmus MC, Rotterdam,
The Netherlands
The delegate from France
was unable to attend, and
her views were reported
by Gabriella De Carli
Andreas Podbielski
Head of Department of
Medical Microbiology
and Hygiene, Medical
University of Rostock,
Germany
Theresa Saklatvala
Chair, Content Director,
Cogora
2 | 2020 | hospitalpharmacyeurope.com
EC Directive 2010/32 is focused on eliminating,
as far as possible, the risk of injury or infection
to healthcare workers (HCW) from medical
sharps. It was required to be transposed
into national law of the EU Member States by
11 May 2013.
On 3 October 2019, senior EU hospital
professionals from seven EU countries met at
the BD Innovation and Engagement Centre in
Eysins, Switzerland, to compare experiences
and policies governing the protection of HCW
from medical sharps injuries in their Member
States. They discussed who is at risk of
needlestick injuries (NSI), compared the specific
risk assessment and weighed the economic and
human impact of NSI. Following analysis of the
contribution of safety-engineered devices (SEDs)
in the prevention of NSI, they concluded with
recommendations for improving HCW safety
through the avoidance of NSI.
Council Directive 2010/32/EU (the Sharps
Directive) introduces six principles to prevent
workers’ injuries caused by all medical sharps
through an integrated approach: risk assessment;
elimination, prevention and protection; information
and awareness-raising; training; reporting, and
response and follow-up. 1
Implementation of the Directive and national
policies governing HCW safety
A quick tour of Europe sees that every country has
implemented the Sharps Directive, with varying
degrees of compliance. Awareness of the effectiveness
of the Directive in the national/local setting is given
in a series of reports: 2
Countries that indicated that reports [of the impact of
the Directive] have been made available are, France (10.
Surveillance nationale des accidents exposants au sang
chez les soignants : réseau AES-Raisin 2015 [National
Surveillance of Accidents Exposing to Blood in
Caregivers: AES-Raisin Network] (available in FR)
retrieved 17 April 2018), Germany (Trade Union and
Employers, 11 separately: Unfallmeldungen zu
Nadelstichverletzungen bei Beschäftigten in
Krankenhäusern, Arztpraxen und Pflegeeinrichtungen
[Workers’ Compensation Claims for Needlestick Injuries
Among Healthcare Personnel in Hospitals, Doctors’
Surgeries and Nursing Institutions] retrieved on 17 April
2018), the Netherlands (13, joint response: Werkdruk,
Agressie en Geweld in Zorg & Welzijn 2014 [Work
pressure, Aggression and Violence in Care & Welfare]