Regulations & Compliance
What the Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013 require of care providers — safer devices, safe disposal, training and what to do after an injury.
OMS Clinical Team
Product Specialists
The Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013 apply wherever sharps are used in healthcare — including care homes, where insulin pens, lancets and needles are in daily use. The regulations sit alongside existing duties under COSHH and general health and safety law rather than replacing them.
The phrase reasonably practicable does real work here. Cost alone is not a defence for not adopting safer devices where the risk of injury is meaningful.
| Mechanism | How it works |
|---|---|
| Retractable needle | Needle withdraws into the barrel after use |
| Sliding sheath | A shield slides forward and locks over the needle |
| Hinged cap | A cover is folded over the needle single handed |
| Blunting technology | The tip is blunted before withdrawal |
The person who uses the sharp is responsible for disposing of it, immediately, into a compliant container that is within reach. Carrying an exposed sharp to a container elsewhere is one of the most common causes of injury — and one of the easiest to design out by moving the container.
Almost every sharps injury investigation ends at the same question: how far was the bin?
Providers must ensure staff are trained in the correct use of safer devices, safe disposal and the reporting procedure. Keep records of that training and of any sharps injuries — both are routinely requested during inspection and after any incident.
Optimised Medical Supplies stocks UN-approved sharps containers, wall brackets and safer sharps devices for care homes and clinics. Order before 4pm for next-day dispatch on stocked lines.
