New Legislation to Protect Health-care Workers

New provincial legislation will help protect health-care workers from needlestick injuries, and therefore diseases such as Hepatitis B and C, and HIV.

Health Minister Chris d'Entremont today, May 10, introduced the Safe Needles in Healthcare Workplaces Act.

The legislation would make the use of safety engineered needles mandatory in most health-care settings in Nova Scotia.

"This will give our dedicated professionals more peace of mind in doing their daily work," said Mr. d'Entremont. "Health-care professionals in various areas across the province have been working to address this issue, and have been introducing these devices over the past number of years. This bill will formalize and enhance the process."

Needlestick injuries are a concern for people who work with hypodermic syringes and other needles. These injuries can occur when people use needles, and pose a potential risk when injuries occur after treating a patient. As a result, there is often a great deal of stress and concern when workers are stuck with needles.

Safety technology for medical devices has greatly improved over the past number of years. The use of safety-engineered needles that can be retracted after use much like a retractable ball point pen, will help prevent injuries.

"We want to ensure that this is embraced across our health-care system. I recognize that reducing needlestick injuries requires more than just introducing safe needles," said Mr. d'Entremont. "Ongoing staff training and awareness are important. Therefore, we will continue to work with our acute care, continuing care, and emergency health services programs across the province to see how this can best be implemented, so it builds on their previous work and works best for them."