Legal loopholes put workers at risk of injury

Injuries inflicted with needles and other sharp instruments in the healthcare sector could be avoided if regulatory loopholes were closed, campaigners have claimed.

In response to a consultation, the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) has called on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) not to water down but to implement in full a European Directive to prevent so-called “sharp injuries”.

“A medical worker who is pricked by a needle, for instance, can suffer life-changing consequences if he becomes infected with Hepatitis B or HIV,” said APIL president Karl Tonks.

“So it’s imperative that proper measures are taken which help ensure that everything possible is done to prevent such incidents occurring.”