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Summer sharps consultation for first EU "social dialogue" safety Directive

The Health and Safety Executive plans to consult in summer 2012 on how it might implement a 2010 EU Directive on the protection of healthcare workers against injuries and infections from needles, scalpels and other medical sharps.

The Directive (PDF format, 743K) (on the EUR-Lex website) sets out a Framework Agreement between the European Hospital and Healthcare Employers' Association and the European Public Services Union (HOSPEEM and EPSU), which applies to all workers in the hospital and healthcare sector and covers 11 "principles" (see box).