Advice · 4 min read · Updated 6 November 2026
Needlestick injury at work: what to do and what employers must do
Immediate first aid
- Encourage the wound to bleed gently, but do not suck it
- Wash thoroughly with soap and warm running water
- Do not scrub the wound
- Dry and cover with a waterproof dressing
- If blood splashed into eyes, rinse with plenty of water; if in the mouth, rinse and do not swallow
- Report the injury to your manager straight away
- Get medical advice urgently from occupational health or A and E
Keep the sharp if it can be done safely, by placing it in a sharps bin, and note where it came from. Knowing the source patient or the circumstances can help with the risk assessment.
Why speed matters
The main concern after a contaminated sharps injury is blood-borne viruses: hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. The risk of infection from a single injury is low, but it depends on the type of injury, the type of sharp and the source. Post-exposure treatment for HIV works best when started as soon as possible, ideally within an hour and generally no later than 72 hours. Hepatitis B vaccination or immunoglobulin may also be offered.
Follow-up blood tests are usually arranged over the following months. Most people who have a needlestick injury are not infected, but the waiting period is stressful, which is why prevention matters.
What employers in healthcare must do
The Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013 apply to employers whose main activity is managing, organising or providing healthcare, and to their contractors. They build on general risk assessment duties.
| Requirement | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Avoid unnecessary use of sharps | Use needle-free systems where possible |
| Use safer sharps where reasonably practicable | Needles with built-in safety mechanisms |
| Prevent recapping | Ban recapping by hand unless risk assessed |
| Place sharps bins close to use | Bins at the point of care |
| Provide information and training | Staff know the risks and the procedure |
| Record and investigate injuries | Find causes and prevent repeats |
| Provide access to treatment and support | Occupational health, counselling, follow-up |
When to report to the HSE
Under RIDDOR, a sharps injury is reportable as a dangerous occurrence if the sharp is known to be contaminated with a blood-borne virus. It is also reportable if the employee goes on to develop a disease linked to the exposure, or if the injury itself leads to more than seven days off work. An injury from a sharp with an unknown source, where no infection follows, is not normally reportable, but it must still be recorded internally.
Workplaces outside healthcare
Sharps injuries are not limited to hospitals. Tattoo and aesthetics studios, care homes, schools, cleaners, waste staff, hotel housekeepers and park staff can all encounter needles. General health and safety law still requires these employers to assess the risk and put controls in place.
- Provide sharps bins where needles are used, including first aid rooms
- Train staff never to put hands into bags or bins
- Supply puncture-resistant gloves and litter pickers for clearing found needles
- Have a written procedure for what to do after an injury
- Make sure full bins are collected by a licensed contractor
Preventing the most common injuries
Many sharps injuries happen after use rather than during it: recapping, carrying a needle across a room to a bin, overfilled sharps bins and needles left in bedding or bags. Putting sharps bins at the point of use, closing them at the fill line and arranging collections often enough that they never overflow removes many of the risks.
What a good sharps injury procedure includes
Every workplace where sharps are used or found should have a short written procedure that staff can follow under stress. It should fit on one page and be displayed where sharps are used.
- The first aid steps, in plain language
- Who to tell, including out of hours
- Where to go for urgent advice: occupational health, A and E or a sexual health clinic
- How the source will be identified and, where possible, tested with consent
- How the incident is recorded and investigated
- Support available afterwards, including counselling
- How RIDDOR reporting decisions are made
Check that staff have been offered hepatitis B vaccination where their role carries a sharps risk, and keep a record. Review the procedure after every injury to see whether a change of equipment, bin position or training would have prevented it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the risk of catching HIV from a needlestick injury?
The average risk after a needlestick injury from an HIV-positive source is estimated at about 1 in 300, and much lower when the source is on effective treatment. The risk for hepatitis B and C is higher if the source is infected. Prompt medical advice allows a proper risk assessment and, where appropriate, preventive treatment.
Should I keep the needle after an injury?
Only if it is safe to do so, and only by placing it straight into a sharps bin. Do not carry it around or try to test it. Note the details of the source, such as which patient or where the needle was found, as that information is more useful for the risk assessment than the needle itself.
Do the 2013 sharps regulations apply to tattoo studios?
The 2013 regulations apply specifically to healthcare employers and their contractors. Tattoo, piercing and beauty studios are covered by general health and safety law instead, which still requires them to assess sharps risks and protect workers. In practice the same controls, such as sharps bins at the point of use and no recapping, are good practice for any studio.
needlestick sharps injury health and safety RIDDOR
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