14 MANAGING INFECTION CONTROL

Sharps Safety

?Where

March 2009

The Exposure Control Plan asoutlined by OSHA, mustreflect changes in safety

technologies and must document the evaluation of new safety products. One of

the most difficult tasks facing infection controlmanagers is the ability of locating relevant sharps

safety products. Because of this difficulty manyhealthcare facilities are not in compliance with therequirements of reviewing safety technologies, prima-rily because of the perceived difficulty of gatheringproduct information.

So, in answer to the question, “Where do I findsafety products,” this month will provide the thirdinstallment of our series exploring the number of safetyproducts currently available. The list contains aproduct category and category description, followed bya list of safety products including company name and a Web site where more information can be obtained.This month safety products in categories Q through Sare presented.

Please note: originally intended to be a three-partseries, due to the extensive list of products to beincluded the series has been expanded into four parts,with the final installment to be presented next month.

Radial Artery CatheterTo perform catheterization of a radial artery safely

using the modified Seldinger technique, a catheter kitcontaining safety components, guidewire, sharp needleand catheter is needed. Arrow Radial Artery Catheterization Kit with

Integral Needle Protection; Arrow, www. arrowintl.com.

Recapping DevicesThe revised OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standard permits

recapping of contaminated needles only under very specific andlimited circumstances, such as with incremental doses of medicationor the injection of radioactive materials. When recapping must beperformed, it must be accomplished by the use of a mechanicaldevice or one-handed technique. Aim Safe Autoclavable Needle Recapping Device; Septodont

USA, www.septodontusa.com. Needlesafe II Needle uncapper and recapper; Medidose Inc. -

Epidose Inc., http://medidose.com/catalog/safety/needlesafe.asp. NeedleVISE® sharps securing, NeedleVISE® Large-Bore

Sharps Securing Device; Atrion Medical, www. atrionmedical.com.

Unigard®; Owen Mumford, www.owenmumford.com.

Retracting Needles, AutomaticEvery year numerous clinicians suffer an accidental needlestick

injury. It is estimated that there are one million needlestick injuries inthe United States and three million needlestick injuries in the worldeach year. Retractable syringes can help solve this problem. There areessentially no clinical applications for which retractable syringes arenot only suitable but life saving in nature. BD Integra Syringe with Retracting Needle; BD, www.bd.com/

injection/products/integra. Futumeds Safety Syringe; Fututech Berhad, www.fututech.

com.my/medical/syringe.htm. OMI Auto-Retractable Safety Syringe; Occupation and Medical

Innovations, www.omiltd.com/Safety_Syringe.cfm. Safety 1st Retractable Syringe; Safety 1st, www.safety1stmedical.

com. Saf-T-Syringe; Safety Medical, www.safetymedical.net. VanishPoint® 1cc Insulin, 1 cc Tuberculin, 3cc, 5cc, 10 cc;

Retractable Technologies Inc.,www.vanishpoint.com.

SHARPS SAFETY MATTERS

to find safety productsPart Three

by Ron Stoker

16 March 2009 MANAGING INFECTION CONTROL

Retracting Needles, ManualEvery year numerous clinicians suffer an accidental needle-

stick injury. Retractable syringes can help solve this problem.There are essentially no clinical applications for which retractablesyringes are not only suitable but life saving in nature. Baksnap® Retractable Safety Syringe; DuoProSS Medtech,

www.duopross.com/products/index.php. Careo Retractable Safety Syringe; Lifeshield Products Inc.,

www.lifeshield-careo.com. HookSafe™ Retractable Safety syringe; Biotop Technology,

www.biotop.com/en/products/retractable.php. InterVene Manually Retractable Hypodermic Safety Needle;

InterVene Limited, www.ivltd.co.uk/index2.html. Inviro SNAP! Manually Retracting Syringe with fixed

needle, Inviro SNAP! Manually Retracting Syringe withexchangeable needle, Inviro SNAP! Manually RetractingSyringe with Inviro Stripe; Inviro Medical, www. inviromedical.com.

SafePro™ manually retractable safety syringe with fixedneedle, SafePro™ Plus manually retractable safety syringewith exchangable needle; Formosa Medical Products,www.formosamed.com.tw/product/safety_ syringe01e.htm.

SafeSnap® Retractable Syringe; US Medical InstrumentsInc., www.usmedicalinstruments.com/ safesnap.html.

SecureGard retractable needle syringe system; SafeGardMedical Systems, www.safegardmedical.com/securegard. html.

UniqSafe Retractable Safety Syringe; Axel Bio Corporation,www.axelbio.com/home.htm.

Safety Debridement KitSafety debridement kits assist in the removal of dead,

contaminated or adherent tissue from a wound site. Some kitscontact safety components to minimize sharps injuries. E*Kits® Debridement Trays with safety scalpel; Medline,

www.medline.com.

Scalpels, RetractableRetractable scalpel blades allow the clinician to slide the

blade into a safe position prior to passing it. Allegiance® Retractable Safety Scalpels; Cardinal, www.

cardianal.com. Bard-Parker SafetyLock Disposable Scalpel; BD, www.

bd.com. Canica Safety Scalpel Handle; Canica Design, www.

canica.com. DeRoyal Safety Scalpel with retractable blade; DeRoyal,

www.deroyal.com. DIAMATRIX Surgical Steel E-Series Trapezoid blade;

Diamatrix Ltd. Inc., www.diamatrix.com. Futura Safety Scalpel-retractable scalpel; Merit Medical,

www.merit.com.

Sharps Safety

Futura Safety Scalpel-retractable scalpel, HypoguardFutura™ safety scalpels; Futura Medical Corp., www.futuramedical.com.

Miltex Disposable Safety Scalpel; Miltex, Inc., www.miltex.com.

Personna Safety Scalpel® - disposable; PersonnaMedical, www.asrco.com/medical.

Ribbel Safe single use scalpel; Ribbel InternationalLimited, www.ribbel.com/index.html.

Saf-T-Scalpel; Advanced Medical Innovations, www.amiwelisten.com.

Saf-T-Scalpel™; Safety Medical, www. safetymedical.net. Surgeon brand Retractable Safety Scalpel with

Steadfast Disposal Lock; Jai Surgical, www. jaisurgi-cals.com.

Saf-T-Scalpel™; Safety Medical, www.safetymedical.net. Stealth Safety Scalpel; Cancer Diagnostics Inc., www.

cancerdiagnostics.com. Sandel Safety Scalpel with Protective Safety Shield;

Sandel Medical, www.sandelmedical.com. Swann-Morton Retractable Safety Scalpels; Swann

Morton, www.swan-morton.com. Technocut PLUS Retractable Safety Scalpel; MYCO

Medical Supplies Inc., www.mycomedical.com.

Scalpels, ShieldedAfter use of the scalpel blade, a button slide is used to

push a shield on top of the blade rendering it safe to pass ormove into a neutral or safe transfer zone. Bard-Parker™ Protected Disposable Scalpel with

Locking Retractable Shield, Bard-Parker™ ProtectedSurgical Blade with Metal Handle; BD, www.bd.com.

The BladeGlove Shielded Safety Scalpel System;Medline Industries, www.medline.com.

Personna® Disposable Safety Scalpel®; Personna Medical,www.asrco.com/medical.

Ribbel Safe Single Use Scalpel; Ribbell InternationalLTD, www.ribbel.com.

Safety Scalpel, PL Medical Co LLC, www. plmedical.com/public/Catalog_Safety_Retractable.htm.

Safety Scalpel; Xodus Medical, www. xodusmedical.com. SharpGuard™ guarded knives; Surgical Specialties

Corp., www.surgicalspecialties.com. TechnoCut Plus safety scalpel; Myco Medical, www.

MYCOMedical.com.

Scalpels, WeightedOne of the most frequent complaints about safety

scalpels is that they lack the feel and weight of a standardscalpel. Since doctors make their living by being able tofeel the blade as they make an incision, some manufacturers

18 March 2009 MANAGING INFECTION CONTROL

have produced safety scalpels that are weighted to feel likea conventional scalpel. Bard-Parker® Protected Blade Systems from BD; BD,

www.bd.com. Personna Plus™ Safety Scalpel System; Personna

Medical, www.asrco.com/medical. Sandel Weighted Safety Scalpel with Protective Safety

Shield; Sandell Medical, www.sandelmedical.com.

Scalpel Blade RemoverRemoval of scalpel blades by hand is a practice that

increases exposure to bloodborne and contact pathogensand oftentimes leads to percutaneous injury. New methodsof removing a scalpel blade from its holder will preventthese sharps injuries from occurring. Blade-Safe Surgical Blade Remover; TradeMark

Medical, www.trademarkmedical.com. Cincinnati Surgical Blade Remover; Cincinnati

Surgical, www.cincinnatisurgical.com. DeBlade Scalpel Blade Remover; DeRoyal, www.

xderoyal.com. Qlicksmart Scalpel Blade Remover, Qlicksmart

CASSETTE 3in1; Qlicksmart, www.qlicksmart.com. Surgi-Guard; Bladex Inc., www.bladex.com.

Scalpel HolderScalpel holder’s provide protection from accidental

sharps injuries by holding the scalpel in a safe positionpreventing accidental cuts or sticks. Scalpel Holder Sharps Safety Device; Xodus Medical,

www.xodusmedical.com. Scalpel Shield™; Purple Surgical, www. purplesurgical.

com. Sharps Safety Station; Medegen Medical, www.

medegen.net.

Scalpel Handle, Protective Safety One of the newest categories of safety products, the

protective safety scalpel handles allow clinician to usechoice of scalpel blade and has the same weight and feel asa conventional scalpel blade and yet covers up the bladeafter each use. Change-a-Blade™ Safety Scalpel Handle; Sandel

Medical, www.sandelmedical.com.

Scalpel Handle, Safety Reusable Metal Some of the newer safety scalpel systems provide

innovative methods to remove the scalpel blade withoutrisking sharps injury. SafHandle™ Safety Reusable Metal Scalpel Handle;

Jai Surgicals Ltd., www.jaisurgicals.com.

Sharps Safety

Segment Sampling DevicesAfter receiving donated blood, blood bank personnel

routinely will take a syringe and needle to obtain a fluid samplefrom the small tubing so they can create a cell suspension.Needlestick injuries routinely occur during this process. Newertechnologies are present that can access the blood withoutcompromising the safety of the clinician. HEMATYPE segment sampling device; Baxter, www.

baxter.com. Safety Segment Slitter; Innovative Laboratory Acrylics Inc.,

www.innovativelabacrylics.com. Sarstedt’s Tube Segment Opener; Sarstedt, www. sarstedt.com. Seg-Safe™ Segment Processor; Alpha Scientific Corp.,

www.Alpha-Scientific.com.

The process of cutting segments with scissors puts healthcareworkers at risk for exposure to bloodborne pathogens. The Sarstedt Tube Segment Opener helps to minimize the risk ofexposure, as well as the potential for cross-contaminationbetween segments.

Self-sealing Capillary TubesConventional capillary tubes have to be pushed into clay to

seal the send of the tube. FDA, NIOSH and OSHA all recommendproducts that use a method of sealing that does not require manually pushing one end of the tube into putty to form a plug.Products in this category do not require a clay plug. SAFECAP® Self-Sealing Microhematocrit Capillary Tubes

with SAFEWRAP; SAFE-TEC Clinical Products Inc.,www.safe-tecinc.com.

Serum DispenserPrevent spillage and increase personal safety. Serum

dispensers fit all standard 13mm blood collection tubes. A small

20 March 2009 MANAGING INFECTION CONTROL

opening allows dispensing of serum in a drop-like fashion. Theyreplace the rubber stopper and permit easy sampling without thehazards associated with open tube use. Filtered Tip Tops; Market Lab Inc., www.marketlabinc.com.

Sharps Containers, DialysisClinicians in a dialysis department have unique sharps safety

needs and need to be able to accommodate small and large sharps,including fistula needles. BD Multi-use nestables; BD, www.bd.com. DIALYSAFETY™ Dialysis Sharps Disposal Containers;

Covidien, www.kendallsharpsafety.com.

Sharps Containers, DisposableNumerous areas in healthcare need to have a sharps collec-

tors that meet their specific needs. The most commonly usedsharps containers are disposable in nature; they should bedisposed of when they are three-quarters full. BD Next Generation In-Room Sharps Collector; BD, www.

bd.com. Complete In-room System; Health Care Logistics Inc.,

www.healthcarelogistics.com. EPS Sharps Disposal; Medidose Inc., www.medidose.com. GatorGuard Sharps Disposal Containers, SharpStar Sharps

Disposal Containers, RENEWABLES™ Sharps DisposalContainers manufactured using recycled plastics,GATORGUARD™ In-Patient Room Sharps Containers, IN-ROOM™ System with Always-Open Lids, IN-ROOMSystem with Mailbox-Style Lids, IN-ROOM System withSHARPSTAR™ Counterbalance Door, IN-ROOM Systemwith SHARPSTAR Lift Assisted Lid, SHARPS-A-GATOR™Tortuous Path Sharp Containers, SHARPSTAR IV 3 & 4Gallon Sharps Container with SHARPSTAR CounterbalanceDoor, Horizontal-Drop Opening Lids, MONOJECT™ Sharps Containers, Multi-Purpose Sharps Container,SHARPS-A-GATOR Sharps Collection & Disposal Systems,ENVIROSTAR™ non-infectious waste sharps disposalcontainer; Covidien, www.kendallsharpsafety.com.

Multi-Safe Disposal Box; Sarstedt, www.sarstedt.com. Sharps Disposal Containers; Greiner Bio-One, www.gbo.com/

preanalytics. Sharps Secure™ sharps containers, Pro-Tec® sharps containers;

Sharps Compliance Inc., www.sharpsinc.com. Sharps Sentinel Cover, Patient Room System, Phlebotomy &

Multi-Use Containers, Wall Cabinet System, Large Volumeand Chemotherapy Containers; Bemis Medical, www.bemis.com.

Sharps Containers, Large VolumeHealthcare workers and others need to be able to use a sharps

disposal container to place needles and other sharps into as

Sharps Safety

mandated by law. Large products such as endoscopic instru-ments need a safe place for disposal. Large Sharps Containers; BD, www.bd.com. Large Volume Sharps Containers; Bemis, www.

Bemis.com. Large Volume Sharps Container; Health Care Logistics,

www.healthcarelogistics.com. Large Volume Containers with Hinged, Sealing Gasket

Lids, Large Volume Containers with Sliding, SealingGasket Lids, SHARPS-A-GATOR™ Large VolumeSharps Containers; Covidien, www. kendall-sharpssafety.com.

Sharps Disposal Containers; Greiner Bio-One, www.gbo.com/preananalytics.

Bemis large volume sharps containers, designed for high volume areas, can easily accommodate large sharps, needle counters, trocars, endoscopic instruments, etc.Two different lid styles allow for temporary closure when not in use and one-handed disposal by activating the foot pedal.

Sharps Containers, Mail-backMail-back sharps containers help to provide a safe,

cost-effective method of containment and disposal ofmedical waste for many light users of sharps includinghome health care, dental and physician offices, satellitehealthcare facilities, health clubs, and hotels. Simply put

22 March 2009 MANAGING INFECTION CONTROL

the sharps into the container, seal it up, and ship it! More thaneight million people use needles and syringes to managemedical conditions at home each year. Home-generatedneedles and other sharps thrown into household wastepresent a great risk to sanitation and sewage treatmentworkers, janitors, housekeepers, children—even pets. Somemunicipalities are now setting laws into place to governhome sharps disposal. A mail-back sharps container helpsmeet these requirements. Once the container is full it isshipped to a manufacturer that destroys the sharps containerand its contents. BD Home Sharps Container; BD, www.bd.com. Mail-away programs for Sharps Containers; Covidien,

www.kendallsharpsafety.com/sharpsafety. Medasend Mailback System; Medadyne Biomedical

Inc., www.medadyne.com. Sharps Disposal By Mail System™; Sharps Compliance

Inc., www.sharpsinc.com. Sharps Containers; GRP Mail-back Sharps Disposal,

www.sharpsdisposal.com. Steri•Safe Sharps Mailback Program; Stericycle,

www.stericycle.com. Sharps Disposal by Mail; Biomedical Waste Solutions,

www.biomedicalwastesolutions.com.

Sharps Containers, PharmaceuticalPharmaceutical and oncology departments have some

specific needs for sharps safety and must meet regulations forpharmaceutical waste. According to CDC/NIOSH, as manyas one-third of all sharps injuries are related to the disposalprocess. Sharps disposal systems that meet certain criteriacan help reduce the risk of sharps injury. BD Pharmacy Collectors 5.4 qt., 3 gal., 9 gal., 17 gal.;

BD; www.bd.com. PharmaSafety; Covidien, www.kendalhealthcare.com.

Sharps Containers, ReusableRather than disposing of a sharps container when it is

filled, some organizations use a reusable sharps disposalcontainer. Each time a reusable sharps disposal container isreturned to service after reprocessing, the user facility shouldconfirm that it meets its original performance elements. Inaddition, reusable sharps disposal containers should berendered free of infectious organisms and infectious materialeach time they are reprocessed and before they are returnedto service. Reusable Sharps containers; Sure-Way Systems Inc.,

www.sure-way.net. Sharps Disposal Program; Stericycle, www.stericycle.com. Sharpsmart Reusabele Sharps Container; Daniels

Sharpsmart, www.sharpsmart.com.

Sharps Safety

Sharps Securing DeviceThere are times when an integrated safety needle is not

available for a specific need. During times like this, it is importantto provide sharp securement. Atrion NeedleVISE® 5-Port; Atrion Medical, www.

atrionmedical.com.

Splash ProtectionThere are times when there is a need to shield a clinician

from aerosol sprays and splashes of biological fluids. Plasticshields are available to act as a transparent barrier to biohazardsplashes, aerosols and sprays for healthcare professionals andlab technicians. Safety Shield™; ITL Corporation, www.itl.com. Splash Guard; Advanced Medical Innovations, www.

amiwelisten.com.

Shielded SyringeA shielded syringe provides protection to healthcare

workers by providing a shield that covers the needle and islocked into place, preventing reuse of the syringe. MONOJECT™ 3mL Safety Syringe, MONOJECT™ 6mL

Safety Syringe, MONOJECT™ 12mL Safety Syringe;Covidien, www.kendallsharpsafety.com/sharpsafety.

Slide Preparation, Blood DispenserAfter collecting blood, it is necessary to remove the stopper

of a tube of blood when making a smear on a microscope slide.New technologies eliminate the need to remove the stopper of a tube of blood when making a smear. This eliminates the potential of a hazardous release of airborne pathogens. Diff-Safe Blood Dispenser; Alpha Scientific Corporation;

www.alpha-scientific.com/diff-safe.html.

Skin Stapler, Non-metalAfter using metal skin staples to close an incision or

laceration the metal staples had to be removed post-operativelycreating accidental sharps injury opportunities. New skin closuretechnologies exist where an absorbable skin staple is used that has the rapid closure times associated with metal skinstaplers, while eliminating the need for metal staple removalpost-operatively. INSORB® 20 Subcuticular Skin Stapler; Incisive Surgical,

www.insorb.com.

Skin Stapler RemoverDisposable skin staple removers are designed to provide

fast and easy removal of surgical skin staples while protectingthe hands of the clinician. 3M™ Precise™ Disposable Skin Staple Remover; 3M,

www.solutions9.3m.com.

23March 2009 MANAGING INFECTION CONTROL

Skin Staple Remover; DeRoyal, www.deroyal.com. Staple Remover with Magazine; Advanced Medical

Innovators, www.amiwelisten.com.

Solidification ProductsIt has been recommend from OSHA that healthcare

workers take all possible precautions from direct exposure to infectious liquids. Solidification products absorb and encapsulate blood, vomit, or any fluid with at least 6 percentwater content. PremiCide™* sanitizer/solidifier product, KWIK-

SORB™ solidifying agent; Covidien, www.kendall-ltp.com/Kendall-LTP.

Spinal TraysSafety-engineered spinal trays have components that

make procedures safer for anesthesia personnel by providingsafety products to minimize the risk of sharps injuries orbloodborne pathogen exposure. BD Anesthesia Safety Trays; BD, www.bd.com.

Sharps Safety

Reader Service No. 62

Portex™ Spinal Trays with needle safety; SmithsMedical, www.smiths-medical.com.

Safety-Engineered Spinal Trays; B Braun, www.bbraun.com.

Trays with Safety Engineered Devices; Baxter, www.baxter.com.

Sternum Closing DeviceClosing the sternum manually places risk on the patient

for inadvertent puncture injuries to the heart, lungs, and underlying vasculature. Newer technologies can reduce theserisks as well as the risk of sternal bleeding and make it easierto close the sternum. 360° Sternum Closure Device; Suturtek Inc., www.

suturtek.com.

StrainersRather than reach by hand into a container contaminated

with blood or other potentially infectious material, a strainercan be used to pick up products.

24 March 2009 MANAGING INFECTION CONTROL

DeRoyal Safety Strainers; Deroyal, www.deroyal.com. DEVON™ Safe-T-Strainer; Covidien, www.kendall-ltp.

com.

Striped Syringe for Labeling SafetyWrite-on stripes provide an easy means to label a syringe.

This protects patients by helping to reduce medication labeling errors. Inviro Luer Lock Syringe with InviroSTRIPE Medication

Label; Inviro Medical, www.inviromedical.com.

Suction Canister SystemIn one study it was found that about 40 percent of the

infectious waste from hospital operating rooms is suction canisterwaste. Suction canisters hold body fluids and saline solution thatare suctioned out of a patient by an aspirator during surgicalprocedures and patient care. Newer technologies provide safetymethods of the disposal of suction canister contents. Res-Q-Vac Airway Suction System; ReproMed Systems Inc.,

www.repro-med.com. Vac-U-Port™/Vac-U-Station™, Quick-Drain™ Liquid

Infectious Waste Management System; Bemis, www. bemis.com.

Surgical ClippersPre-operative hair removal used to mean shaving the surgical

site prior to procedures. It is now recommended by AORN andCDC that the area NOT be shaved but that it should be clipped if necessary. This pre-operative hair removal using surgical clippers offers many benefits over razors including a higherquality of care and improved comfort for patients. It will alsolower infection rates which should make both patients andhospital administrators happy. 3M Surgical Clippers; 3M, http://solutions.3m.com. Cardinal Clipper; Cardinal, www.cardinal.com. Medline Clippers; Medline, www.medline.com.

Surgical Floor AspiratorDuring a surgical procedure towels or mats are placed on

the floor to absorb and clean up body fluids. Newer technologiesare available that can eliminate this by aspirating the fluids into a container. Puddle Guppy; DeRoyal, www.deroyal.com. Waterbug Quiet Floor Suction Device, Waterboom Quiet

Floor Suction Device; Aspen Surgical, www.aspensurgical.com.

Surgical Instrument Organizer ProductsSharp injury potential can be minimized when the surgical

instruments are organized with their tips away from the practitioner. Products are available to help surgical staff betterorganize sharps instruments.

Sharps Safety

Dieble Instrument organizer; DC Surgical, www. dcsurgical.com.

Disposable Instrument Organizer; Advanced MedicalInnovations, www.amiwelisten.com.

Surgical Instrument Transfer ProductsTo avoid the use of hand-to-hand transfer of sharps

instruments, safety products are available to transfercommonly used sharp instruments in the surgical setting.Rather than passing it from one clinicians hand intoanother, the clinician simply sets the sharps into a transfertray and then removes his hand. The technician or nurse canthen retrieve the sharp safely. DEVON HANDS-FREE-TRANSFER Products;

Covidien, www.tycohealth-ece.com. Disposable Z-Instrument Drape ™, Disposable Z-Tray,

Stretch-A-Tray™ Extendable Hands Free Transfer Tray;Sandel Medical, www.sandelmedical. com.

Neutray, The “Neutral” Zone Sharps Safety TransferTray; Advanced Medical Innovations, www.amiwelisten.com.

ScrubSafe™; DeRoyal, www.deroyal.com. Sharps Passing Tray, Scalpel Shield; Purple Surgical,

www.purplesurgical.com.

Surgical Safety ProductsThere are a number of safety products that can be

used to reduce the potential of sharps injuries in thesurgical suite. DEVON™ Safe-T-Strainer; Covidien, www.kendall-ltp.

com/Kendall-LTP. DeRoyal Skin Staplers; DeRoyal, www.deroyal.com. Disposable Instrument Organizer; Advanced Medical

Innovations, www.amiwelisten.com. Puddle Guppy; Deroyal, www.deroyal.com. Scalpel Caddy™; Cover-U Medical Products,

coverumedical@msn.com. Sharps Safety Station; Purple Surgical, www.

purplesurgical.com.

Syringe Labeling for SafetyWrite-on stripes provide an easy means to label a syringe.

This protects patients by helping to reduce medicationlabeling errors. Inviro Luer Lock Syringe with InviroSTRIPE Medication

Label; Inviro Medical, www.inviromedical. com. Portex™ Regional Anesthesia Trays with syringe

medication labels; Smiths Medical, www.smiths-medical.com.

Qlicksmart CHECK CLIP; Qlicksmart, www. qlicksmart.com.

25March 2009 MANAGING INFECTION CONTROL

Sharps Safety

Reader Service No. 63

Syringe Management SystemThis group of safety products is a “point-of-care” automated

syringe and sharps disposal system that completely extracts theneedle from the syringe body. Following an injection, thesyringe and needle are dropped into the management systemwhere the needle is removed from the syringe and dropped intoa special internal sharps container. SMS-1, SharpsFree SMS-2 (Sharps Management System -

Pro), SharpsFree SMS-3 (Sharps Mgmt System - Personal),SharpsFree SMS-4 (Sharps Management System, wallmount); Medtech, www.sharpsfree.com. ✛

Ron Stoker is the founder and executive director of theInternational Sharps Injury Prevention Society (ISIPS) and is afrequent contributor to Managing Infection Control magazine.He speaks frequently at national and international meetings

on sharps safety, hand hygiene and infection control issues. He is coauthor of the “Compendium of Infection ControlTechnologies.” For more information on the Compendium, go to www.medicalsafetybook.com. Mr. Stoker is providing anumber of webinars focusing on a variety of sharps injuryprevention safety products. For more information on the webinars, go to www.isips.org/seminars.html.

Author’s note: Even with months of preparation, this list isincomplete but the author believes that it contains more safetyproducts and categories than has previously been assembledtogether in one list. The intent is to include all safety productsthat are currently available in the marketplace. The author isindebted to those that have provided information on safetyproducts. If you are aware of safety products that have not beenincluded in this list, please send an e-mail to info@isips.org.This list is copyrighted by ISIPS and may not be republishedwithout the expressed written consent of the author. Pleasecontact the author to add additional company and productnames at info@isips.org.