Needlestick — how to prevent needlestick injuries effectively

Number of needlestick injuries can be as high as one per worker per year. Consequences of a single needlestick injury can be severe or even fatal. The most common risk are Hepatitis B and C and HIV infections. In 2004 there were 218 occupational hepatitis and eight HIV infections recognised in Germany. Health-care facilities do not invest in safety instruments although safety equipment were estimated to causes additional costs of EUR 63 per worker a year while each needlestick accident costs around EUR 480. By a two-year on-the-job intervention study, the organisations wanted to assess how needlestick injuries could be prevented efficiently.