Vancouver Island Switches to Safety Needles

The Vancouver Island Health Authority will spend $1 million on safety-engineered needles in an effort to prevent nurses and technicians from being stuck accidentally on the job. The new needles are expected to reduce needlesticks by 70% over the next 18 months. If that were to happen, the workers' compensation system would decrease its medical spending to treat and follow up those cases by $13.6 million, according to the B.C. authority. A plastic guard manually locks into place after an injection is complete. The needle points no longer are exposed after being used. "The new sharps are i...