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Posted By Anwar Afzal
What do you do when you try an d control drug users in hostels etc, but you still come across needles here there and everywhere. All my have staff including cleaners have had relevant training and still they did decide to take off the gloves provided and hurt themselves.
You can take the horse to the well but you cant make him drink the water?
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Posted By Saracen11
Hi Anwar, take the offenders down your own internal disciplinery route, using sec 7&8 of the HSW.
You are right about taking a horse to water, but in this case if they don't drink and it's for their own safety...
Regards
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Posted By Kate Graham
Find out why they are taking the gloves off. Do the gloves make it difficult to operate the tool they are using to pick the needles up? (They are using a tool, aren't they?)
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Posted By Anwar Afzal
No the gloves are not a barrier but inconvieniant to them, especially the cleaners. And because of their actions/ommisions we are being prosecuted for not maintaining a safe evironment. Yet the problem is no matter how much monitoring you do, if the tenants are going to stick needles in cielings, floors, walls etc they will do so.
And despite what training you give them and what policies you have, you still become liable under health and safety.
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Posted By Aidan Toner
Anwar
Im curious to know two things;
(1)What type of gloves are your staff working with which combine everyday cleaning duties AND protect agaist needlestick?
(2)What are your standing instructions to staff regarding prevention -is it keep your gloves on at all times when carrying out duties?
I would be obliged if you clarify.
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Posted By Aidan Toner
The more spitful, ingenious and retalitory vandal will of course smear your building with the 'vandal paint' once they have had their first negative encounter with the stuff.
Be careful!
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Posted By Aidan Toner
Spot where the last response was meant to go!!!
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Posted By Anwar Afzal
The gloves are fit for the purpose of needles, and instructions are to use them when they are in the area of risk. However, the cleaners even though affected when once previously on the site when we did not have appropraite measures in place decides to take the risk because she could not be bothered, and we are being prosecuted by the local authority and not her. Although that would be a defence when it comes to court shortly.
And yes the vandal paint scenerio is good when you can identify which one it is bit its difficult in the environment we are in.
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Posted By Jeffrey Watt
Anwar
I sympathise with your difficult situation. Do the users have a system for getting clean needles by leaving in the old ones? I'm sure that doesn't work all the time either but it might help reduce the number of exposures to hidden needles.
Jeff
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Posted By Anwar Afzal
Yes they do have a system for obtaining clean needles but they just stick them anywhere because that is the way they are.
I had been to another one of hostels where the tenant was arrested for an offence, and we discovered 300 used needles, and got the environmental health out the deal with them.
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Posted By Aidan Toner
Hello Anwar
Might I suggest there is no glove available which will combine general cleaning duties and prevention against needlestick other than a very expensive and cumbersome steel mesh inlay leather glove.A type of glove my employer (a local authority) can use for only certain low dexterity type tasks such as lifting out steel liners from streetside waste containers.(Needles may be placed under or around lip of bin)
Our standing instructions to staff are -DONT PLACE YOUR HANDS ON OR IN ANYTHING YOU CANT SEE.ie Cleaning along tops of toilet cubicles,under toilet seats, under side of table tops,into plant bedding pots.ALL of these tasks required modified cleaning practice to ensure hands are not placed where there is not full vision.Simple, everyday tasks had to be redesigned and spelt out to staff such that the standing instruction could be complied with.
A difficult state to achieve,I appreciate, but I dont really think there is any other way.
Good luck
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Posted By Anwar Afzal
Thank you all for your comments and advise, whilst they have been helpful to me, i do hope that others have learnt from this.
once again thanks
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Posted By Chris Packham
Anwar
I suggest you contact Malcolm Roberts on 01778 426 841. His speciality is training and systems to prevent needlestick injury and he has considerable experience in this field.
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Posted By Salus Anwar, (appeal court favours employers) you might be interested in this ruling case at the court of appeal, go to www.dwf.co.uk
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Posted By Robert Jackson
The comments here are helpful and no doubt appreciated but i find that nobody has actually tackled the initial issue of drug users injecting here there and everywhere (Anwars words not mine)
Should he be looking ERICPD - Eliminate, Reduce, Isolate etc etc as a first line of protection before worrying about what gloves to buy?
The prime objective is to protect staff obviously so why not make only certain areas available to users?
The installation of ultra violet lighting in others areas frequented by the users would make usage near on impossible?
just a thought!
Rj
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Posted By Anwar Afzal
its a good thought, however i have no intention of encouraging drug users, so having a specific area is unlikley to work.
Regular specialist contractors may be an option to check rooms where there are suspected drug users to force them to stop hopefully.
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Posted By Gerry Newton Anwar Had real problems with this a few years ago with police officers of all people who kept suffering needlestick injuries. We resolved the matter as far as reasonably practicable with a search and collection tool called the 'ampelprobe' made in USA, but available here. Link to their site is http://www.ampelprobe.com/
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