O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T 5 1
potential sharps injuries when deciding to invest in safety scalpels.
4. Remind them it's required
OSHA's bloodborne pathogen standard requires you to conduct annual evalua-
tions of sharps safety devices. You must convene a safety committee that iden-
tifies, evaluates and implements safety products. Those efforts must be docu-
mented in your exposure control plan. I'm aware of several facilities that have
received substantial fines for failing to meet those requirements. The assess-
ment and feedback about the effectiveness of the latest offerings in safety
scalpels must come from the frontline staff; don't decide if you'll invest in
safety scalpels from behind your administrator's desk. Concern about the
expense of safety blades is not a valid reason for failing to invest in the instru-
ments, in the eyes of OSHA inspectors, who have been known to cite facilities
that have refused safety scalpels based on cost alone.
5. Show off the latest options
Surgeons typically complain that safety scalpels are too light and too cumber-
some and don't have the ergonomic "feel" of the standard handles they've been
working with since medical school. They also claim activating the protective
shields on some models isn't intuitive and requires adjusting the scalpel in their
hand, a movement that increases injury risk. Dull blades and poor, non-durable
construction are also common concerns.
Newer, user-friendly designs have addressed many of those issues. There are
plenty of options available, and it's time your surgeons and surgical team mem-
bers take another look if they haven't picked up a safety blade in several years.
Surgeons can now activate more intuitive safety features without looking away
from the surgical field; safety features can be activated quickly and easily during
passing; and handles have the weight and feel that more closely resemble con-
ventional scalpels. Manufacturers have invested in designs that have made safe-
