Staying Safe with Needles

To pick up a needle safely:

1. Pick a hard-sided, sealable container such as a sharps container, plastic water bottle, beverage container, or detergent bottle.
   • Never discard needles in the garbage, recycling, or flush down the toilet
2. Place the container on a flat surface, away from your feet.
3. It is fairly safe to use your bare hands to pick up a needle. But if you have them on hand, you can also use tongs, needle nose pliers or gloves to assist you to your comfort level.
4. Ensure you pick up the needle by the plunger with the needle tip facing down and away from your body.
   • You should never try to recap the needle. Nor should you try to break, bend, or snap any part of the needle.
5. Place the needle, point down into the container and seal tightly.
6. Wash your hands with hand sanitizer or if available soap and water.
7. You can then take the needle to your local NWHU location for disposal or any other disposal bins that accept bulk large containers.
   • You can check for alternate drop-off locations in your area on the OHRDP website.

A needle stick injury happens when a needle or other sharp objects, pierces or stabs a person’s skin. This injury may put a person in contact with blood or other body fluids from another person. Viruses like tetanus, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV can survive on a contaminated object for more than a week, however the risk of transmission from a needle found in the community is low (references: CCOHS: Needlestick and Sharps Injuries and best-practices-community-needle-stick-injuries.pdf (interiorhealth.ca).

It is important to follow these steps if get a needle stick injury:

1. Stay calm. The risk of infection from illnesses such as tetanus, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV is very low.
2. Let the wound bleed freely. Do not suck, rub, squeeze, or compress the wound.
3. Wash the wound with soap and water.
4. Go to the emergency department immediately. Healthcare professionals will assess and determine the need for testing and/or treatment.
5. Get tested for HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and other potential contaminants.
6. If a needle stick injury occurred at work, report the injury to your Occupational Health and Safety Committee and fill out the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board paperwork.

Talking to your kids about needles may be uncomfortable, but it is important for children to know what to do if they find a needle or other sharp objects on the ground. You can show a picture of a needle/syringe, so they know what it looks like in case they find one.

Talk about needles in an age-appropriate manner. For example, for younger children having this conversation does not need to include talking about drugs and addiction; but for older children, you can teach them about the dangers of injection drug use.

Remind your children that there are many things on the ground that can harm them, and teach them not to touch anything that they find on the ground that does not belong to them. Teach children to always ask an adult for help if they find a needle.

Tips for talking to children

For young children, up to grade 6, talk about:

• How needles on the ground can be sharp and unsafe.
• “Don’t Touch” needles or other sharp objects.
• Ask an adult for help.
• Making sure their friends stay away from a needle on the ground.

For older children, grades 7-12, talk about:

• Ask an adult for help if you do not feel comfortable picking up a needle.
• Don’t touch the sharp end of the needle.
• Never put the cap back on a needle.
• If possible, use gloves and tongs to pick up a needle.
• Place needle, point end first, in a hard-sided plastic container, and then tightly seal it.
• Wash your hands with soap and water after picking up a needle.
• Give the sealed container to an adult.
• Never put needles down the toilet, or in the garbage.

We all can help prevent injuries from needles by making sure children know what to do.

If you would like more information about talking to your kids about needles, call your local Northwestern Health Unit office.