Laws on Retractable Needles in Canada?

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I was wondering if anyone knows Canada's laws regarding safety in terms of the needles used in all health care settings?

Are there any such laws requiring that safety/retractable needles be used?

I've been trying to find out via online searches but having trouble finding any answers.

So to any nurses or health care workers that know what is the current situation - I would love to be informed about it.

I know each Province probably has a different legislation, but I am interested to find out from all and any provinces.

Thank you

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Not heard it is NS policy however the facility I work in has mandated that we use only safety needles for insulin pens and all other needles are capped after use and come with cap attached to needle

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Never heard of one in AB. Just assumed it was a design/safety feature.

Haven't met an insulin pen that has a safety device.

Have you checked with a CNE at your place of employment? They usually have an answer for everything.

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Yes, Ontario has laws on retractable needles, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, regulation 474/07 needle safety

http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_070474_e.htm

Saskatchewan amended their Occupational health & safety Act to include retractable needles http://www.lrws.gov.sk.ca/needle-safe-devices-improved-exposure-control-plans

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

Alberta also has legislation that dates back to July 2010 stating that safety-engineered sharps are to be preferentially employed in all health care settings. http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/hp/hp-sed-guid-sed-waiver-app-process.pdf There's a process for seeking a waiver that allows for exemptions. We have had safety-engineered needles and IV catheters with retractable stylets on my unit for well over a year. All of our central line, PICC line and cutdown kits have scalpels with sliding blade covers as well. We don't like the IV catheters much for kids because they're very heavy at the hub and difficult to thread in very small vessels.

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Jan, did your unit get some of the defective batch of IV catheters? Ours did. Couldn't get the covers out to even attempt a start.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

I don't think we did. Our issue with them is the weight on the end, as I said. It's really ahrd to thread them into tiny veins, and when the tip is barely into the vein, they often are pulled out just because of there's so much weight on the end. Or when the stylet is retracted the snap pulls it out. And really, we shouldn't have to stick a baby five or six times and bruise all their decent veins just to say we used safety-engineered devices!

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Just wanted to send a Thank You to all the replies :)

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