[Long, Kylie FLTLT]

UNCLASSIFIED

Good Morning,
I would just like to thank all those that responded to my request,
definitely great replies which have saved me a lot of time and effort in
researching.
Very much appreciated!!

Regards,

Kylie Long

Flight Lieutenant

Infection Prevention and Control

Clinical Governance & Projects

Garrison Health Operations Branch

Joint Health Command

Department of Defence

________________________________

Behalf Of Terry Grimmond

Hi all,

Not sure if my first email (below) was distributed but would like to
comment on the great replies coming in…

* Although Australia has no regulations on sharps container (SC)
heights, there are national guidelines (AHFG; HB260-2003) and these are
picked up in some state recommendations.

* I strongly advise against using the NIOSH 1998 Evaluation,
Selection and Use of SC – it’s 52″-56″ recommendation is based on USA
white 1970’s population and is dangerously high.

* Close scrutiny of individual rooms in the AHFG guide show
heights are inconsistent and range from 800mm-1300mm but….the 900mm is
(correctly) for trolleys and 1100mm (correctly) for walls. 1300mm for
resusc wall is too high.

* The height should accommodate your shortest staff (or at least
95% of them) and given nurse shortages (forgive the pun), immigrant
nurses from Asian countries are commonly 10cm shorter than Caucasian
Australian nurses.

* I recommend “70% of shoed 5th percentile height” and this
means aperture height for shoed 5th percentile Australian females is
1091mm; and for Vietnamese or Filipino nurses is 1015mm.

So, given ethnic mix among Australian females, an aperture height 1.1 –
1.2m above floor appears reasonable.

Best regards, Terry

Terry Grimmond FASM, BAgrSc, GrDpAdEd

Consultant Microbiologist

Grimmond and Associates

Ph/Fx (NZ): +64 7 856 4042

Mob (NZ): +64 274 365 140

E: tg@gandassoc.com

“This email (including any attachments) is intended only for the use of
the individual or entity named above and may contain information that is
confidential and privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you
are reminded that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this
email or attachments is prohibited. If you have received this email in
error, please notify me immediately by return email or telephone and
destroy the original message. Thank you.”

Dear Kylie,

There are no national or state regulations stipulating Sharps Container
(SC) height in Australia (nor elsewhere that I know of) but there are
guidelines. At outset we should agree that it is height of SC aperture
in Q. Here are my findings on the matter…

The correct height for SC is one at which staff can safely view down in
to the aperture to ensure it is clear and to facilitate safe deposit of
sharps and correct activation of tray/door (if present).

The Australasian Health infrastructure Alliance shows the aperture of
the wall-mounted SC to be approximately 1.3m off the floor in Acute
Patient Bays
(http://www.healthfacilityguidelines.com.au/standard_components_lz.aspx)
, however heights above 1.2m are associated with increased sharps
injuries (SI) to HCW (Weltman et al ICHE 1995;16:268-274).

My research indicates that a safe, wall-mounted aperture height is 1.1m
– 1.2m above floor level. Epidemiological evidence confirms that staff
risk far exceeds child injury risk and at this height I have yet to see
a child SI cited.

Historically, SC were placed at “ergonomic height for staff to safely
use” – there was no ‘recommended height from floor’. However, the fear
of child access caused SC to be raised to non-ergonomic heights to the
point where numerous SI to HCW have been reported because they could not
see that:

* a tray/door had activated correctly

* the aperture was clear

* the SC was not overfilled;

* a sharp was not retained in the vestibule (throat) of a
tray/door SC;

* or that a sharp was protruding from the aperture

NB. Karen Daley the President of American Nurses Association said she
acquired HIV and HCV through an SI because the SC was mounted too high.

I have written to CDC’s NIOSH to inform them their 1998 guideline on
Evaluation, Selection and Use of SC
(http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/97-111/ ) needs updating as they
recommend a height of “52-56 inches” (1.32 – 1.42m). They will discuss
this at the next, yet to be scheduled review.

SC height is compounded in countries with short-stature staff and also
compounded in developed countries where nurse shortages have been filled
with staff emigrating from Asia, Phillipines, Mexico, etc – all
short-stature countries.

Finally, sharps containers need be mounted to accommodate an
institution’s shortest staff, not their average staff.

I hope this is helpful to you.

Terry Grimmond FASM, BAgrSc, GrDpAdEd

Consultant Microbiologist

Grimmond and Associates

Ph/Fx (NZ): +64 7 856 4042

Mob (NZ): +64 274 365 140

E: tg@gandassoc.com

“This email (including any attachments) is intended only for the use of
the individual or entity named above and may contain information that is
confidential and privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you
are reminded that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this
email or attachments is prohibited. If you have received this email in
error, please notify me immediately by return email or telephone and
destroy the original message. Thank you.”

Behalf Of Long, Kylie FLTLT

UNCLASSIFIED

Good Afternoon,

I was wondering where it is actually written that wall mounted sharps
containers should be below eye level and minimum height 1.1m so as out
of reach of young children, can anyone advise?

Much appreciated.

Regards,

Kylie Long

Flight Lieutenant

Infection Prevention and Control

Clinical Governance & Projects

Garrison Health Operations Branch

Joint Health Command

Department of Defence

and is subject to the jurisdiction of section 70 of the Crimes Act 1914.
If you have received this email in error, you are requested to contact
the sender and delete the email.

Messages posted to this list are solely the opinion of the authors, and
do not represent the opinion of ACIPC.

Archive of all messages are available at http://aicalist.org.au/archives
– registration and login required.

Replies to this message will be directed back to the list. To create a
new message send an email to aicalist@aicalist.org.au

To send a message to the list administrator send an email to
aicalist-request@aicalist.org.au.

You can unsubscribe from this list be sending ‘signoff aicalist’
(without the quotes) to listserv@aicalist.org.au

Messages posted to this list are solely the opinion of the authors, and
do not represent the opinion of ACIPC.

Archive of all messages are available at http://aicalist.org.au/archives
– registration and login required.

Replies to this message will be directed back to the list. To create a
new message send an email to aicalist@aicalist.org.au

To send a message to the list administrator send an email to
aicalist-request@aicalist.org.au.

You can unsubscribe from this list be sending ‘signoff aicalist’
(without the quotes) to listserv@aicalist.org.au

and is subject to the jurisdiction of section 70 of the Crimes Act 1914.
If you have received this email in error, you are requested to contact
the sender and delete the email.

Messages posted to this list are solely the opinion of the authors, and do not represent the opinion of ACIPC.

Archive of all messages are available at http://aicalist.org.au/archives – registration and login required.

Replies to this message will be directed back to the list. To create a new message send an email to aicalist@aicalist.org.au

To send a message to the list administrator send an email to aicalist-request@aicalist.org.au.

You can unsubscribe from this list be sending ‘signoff aicalist’ (without the quotes) to listserv@aicalist.org.au

[Author]

Posts