EU on the brink of new laws to tackle needlestick injuries after campaign by Liz Lynne MEP

2.18.14pm GMT Thu 11th Feb 2010

The European Parliament today voted in favour of a resolution from LibDem MEP Liz Lynne calling for new laws to tackle the danger of needle stick injuries in the workplace, which can cause HIV or other serious infections.

The problem is particularly acute for nurses in the NHS and other heath services, with campaigners estimating that up to 1 million preventable injuries are sustained from sharp objects in workplaces around the EU every year.

The vote today follows a 6 year campaign from Liz Lynne MEP and leading nursing organisations including the RCN calling for action to cut the serious risks to staff from such injuries.

Liz Lynne, who proposed the resolution as Lib Dem European Employment and Social Affairs Spokesperson, welcomed the vote at the Parliament in Strasbourg. She said:

"There are over 1 million preventable needlestick injuries across the EU each year. Many of those who are injured and their families face an agonising wait to find out whether they have contracted a blood borne infection such as HIV or Hepatitis C.

"Healthcare workers dedicate their lives to saving others and it is unacceptable they are being exposed to life threatening risks on a daily basis just by doing their job.

"This European Parliament resolution takes us one step closer to safer working practices and the mandatory use of medical devices that incorporate needle protection, changes I have campaigned to achieve for many years.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

West Midlands MEP Liz Lynne is Vice President of the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee, which is responsible for Health and Safety in the Workplace.

Liz has campaigned for 6 years for an amendment to existing EU legislation on Biological Agents to ensure mandatory standards in the workplace to better protect healthcare workers and ancillary workers, including a ban on re-sheathing.

Background to the legislation:

In 2006 the European Parliament adopted a resolution on protecting European healthcare workers from blood-borne infections due to needle-stick injuries. The resolution requested the Commission 'to submit to EP within three months of the date of adoption of the resolution, a legislative proposal for amending Directive 2000/54/EC on biological agents'. This did not happen.

After years of pressure from the Parliament, the Commission did eventually draft an amendment to the biological agents directive last year, via a proposal for a directive, however this was dropped because the social partners (hospital employers and health worker unions) decided to enter formal negotiations, which they had no intention of doing until they knew that we had succeeded in getting the proposal through Parliament.

The social partners adopted an agreement last year and Liz Lynne's report is giving the Parliament's support for this. Once this is adopted by Member States, they will then have 2 years to bring in the changes.