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Sharps and Discarded Needle Handling Safe Work Instruction Template

The safe work instruction from the Sharps and Discarded Needle Handling Pack, on its own: what the worker does, step by step, the hazards and controls, and when to stop.

  • TaskSharps handling
  • DocumentsSafe work instruction (SWI)
  • FormatsWord (.docx), editable
  • CodeDOC-SHP-SWI
  • Version1.0 · 297 KB ZIP

About this document

A safe work instruction tells the worker how to do the work safely at your site: the purpose and scope, who may do the work, the equipment, the hazards and their controls (most effective first), PPE, the steps with clear stop points, emergencies, consultation and approval, and a signed acknowledgement. A short setup note lists what to adapt and every placeholder.

It is the same document as in the Sharps and Discarded Needle Handling Pack, word for word. The Sharps and Discarded Needle Handling VOC Assessment Template checks a worker can do the work in it, and the Sharps and Discarded Needle Handling Field Verification Checklist checks on site that the controls it relies on are working. Both are sold on their own too. The Sharps and Discarded Needle Handling Pack contains all of them, with the kit check and incident record and a setup guide.

A VOC supports workplace competency verification. It does not replace a high risk work licence where one is required. A needlestick or other sharps injury needs prompt first aid and medical assessment under your post-exposure procedure. The documents do not replace medical advice.

Who it is for

  • Businesses whose workers do sharps and discarded needle handling
  • Supervisors who brief workers on how the work is done at their site
  • Businesses that already verify competency and need the safe work instruction the VOC checks against
  • WHS advisers replacing an instruction that does not match the site

What it helps you do

  • Give workers one clear instruction that matches how your site works
  • Mark the points where the work stops until a condition is met
  • Record who was consulted, who approved it and when it is reviewed
  • Brief each worker and keep their signed acknowledgement
  • Give the VOC and the field verification something to check against

What is included

Delivered as one ZIP download. The files below are editable, and every Word document also comes as a PDF. Each download also includes Read Me First, a Setup Note, a Product Overview, the Permitted Use Terms and Version Information (PDF).

FileFormatWhat it is for
Sharps Handling Safe Work InstructionWord (.docx)The steps for the worker: assess the find, put on PPE, use tongs to place each sharp into an approved container, never recap or snap, dispose of the container, record the find, and the first aid and reporting steps after a needlestick.

How the documents work together

The safe work instruction is where the documents start: the VOC checks a worker can do the work in it, the kit check and incident record covers each job, and the field verification checks the controls it relies on. The Sharps and Discarded Needle Handling Pack contains all four.

Safe work instruction

Tells the operator what to do

The steps, hazards and controls for the task, written for the person doing it.

Included

VOC assessment

Checks they can do it

Verifies each operator against that same instruction, on your equipment, with evidence and a clear outcome.

In the pack

Kit check and incident record

Keeps the kit ready and records any needlestick

Tongs, containers and gloves checked, and any needlestick recorded with the first aid and report.

In the pack

Field verification

Checks the controls are working on site

A supervisor checks on the floor that the controls the instruction relies on are in place and effective.

In the pack

What supervisors find in the field feeds back into the instruction and the VOC.

Set it up for your site

Before first use, adapt the documents to:

  • Where your workers may find sharps, and what they may find
  • Your tongs, approved sharps containers and the PPE your procedure specifies
  • How full containers are collected and disposed of in your area
  • Your post-exposure procedure, first aid arrangements and medical contacts
  • How finds and exposures are reported and recorded
  • Consult the workers who do the work, and review after an exposure or a near miss

What you need

  • Your sharps and discarded needle handling details and the manufacturer's instructions
  • Your site layout and your local controls
  • Someone competent to adapt the safe work instruction and brief the workers
  • Time to consult the workers who will use it

Before you use them

  • A needlestick or other sharps injury needs prompt first aid and medical assessment under your post-exposure procedure. The documents do not replace medical advice.
  • The documents must be adapted to your equipment, the manufacturer's instructions, your site and your local controls before they are used.
  • Using them does not by itself make a workplace compliant with WHS or OHS laws. They support the work of managing the risk; they are not legal advice.

Questions about this document

Is it the same as the safe work instruction in the pack?

Yes, word for word. It is the safe work instruction from the Sharps and Discarded Needle Handling Pack, sold on its own with a short setup note.

Should we buy the pack instead?

If you need more than this one document, yes. The Sharps and Discarded Needle Handling Pack contains this document, the VOC assessment, the kit check and incident record and the field verification checklist, written to work together, with a setup guide. The kit check and incident record and the setup guide are only in the pack.

Does it replace a licence or a VOC?

No. A VOC supports workplace competency verification. It does not replace a high risk work licence where one is required. A needlestick or other sharps injury needs prompt first aid and medical assessment under your post-exposure procedure. The documents do not replace medical advice.

Does it replace the manufacturer's instructions?

No. Where the manufacturer's instructions differ, follow the manufacturer and change the document to match.

Do you need training to pick up needles?

No licence is needed, but workers who may handle discarded needles must be trained in your procedure: use tongs or another tool, never recap, and put the needle straight into a rigid sharps container. The VOC checks each worker against the procedure, and the kit check makes sure the equipment is there.

What do you do after a needlestick injury?

Wash the area straight away with soap and running water, report it, and get medical assessment as soon as possible under your post-exposure procedure. Do not wait to see whether symptoms appear. The documents set out the steps and record the incident, but they do not replace medical advice.

Can we edit the documents?

Yes. Every document is supplied in Word (.docx) or Excel (.xlsx), so you can add your logo, change the wording and adapt it to your workplace. The copyright notice must stay.

Do we need to adapt them before use?

Yes. The documents must be adapted to your equipment, the manufacturer's instructions, your site and your local controls before they are used. The setup note in the download lists what to change.

Will these documents make us compliant?

No document can. Your duties are met by managing the risks in your actual workplace. Using them does not by itself make a workplace compliant with WHS or OHS laws. They support the work of managing the risk; they are not legal advice.

Is GST included in the price?

Yes. Every price in the store includes GST, so $49.00 is the total, including $4.45 GST. Your receipt is a tax invoice showing the GST.

How are the files delivered?

As a ZIP download. Card purchases can be downloaded straight away from the confirmation page and by a link we email you. Download links expire after 14 days for security; you can request a new one at any time.

Can we order by invoice, or for several sites?

Yes. Use Request an Invoice to order through your normal procurement process, with a purchase order number and quantities if you need them. The files are released once payment is confirmed.

Can we use them at more than one site?

Yes, across your own organisation. The documents are licensed for internal use by the purchasing organisation. A consultant, labour hire business or training provider supplying them to clients needs separate written permission.

Can we use them outside Australia?

They are written for Australian workplaces and refer to Australian WHS and OHS laws and licences. A business elsewhere should replace those references with its own country's requirements. Everything is editable for that.

What is your refund policy?

Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law are not affected. See the Refund Policy for how we handle a document that is faulty, not as described, or not what you ordered.

Licence and legal information here is general. It may not be correct in your jurisdiction: please check with your local WHS or OHS regulator.

Ordering for a business or several sites? Request an invoice. Other questions: contact us.

Goes well with

Start with a toolbox talk to brief the crew on the hazard, then use the safe work instruction, the VOC and the field verification checklist to set and check the controls.

First Aid Awareness

For: All workersDuration: 20–30 minutes

For every worker: how first aid works in your workplace, who the first aiders are, and what to do in the first minutes after someone is hurt. Not a first aid certificate.

What's included
  • Editable slides with speaker notes, plus PDF
  • Facilitator guide and participant handout
  • Multiple-choice assessment with answer key
  • Attendance record form and certificate template

Personal Protective Equipment Awareness

For: All workersDuration: 20–30 minutes

For every worker who wears PPE: where it sits in the hierarchy of control, and how to choose, fit, wear, look after and replace it so it actually protects.

What's included
  • Editable slides with speaker notes, plus PDF
  • Facilitator guide and participant handout
  • Multiple-choice assessment with answer key
  • Attendance record form and certificate template

Sharps handling is a common critical control. To manage it as one, with performance standards and field verification across the business, see the Critical Control Management series.

Related documents

Sharps and Discarded Needle Handling Pack

For: Employers whose workers may find discarded needles

Safe work instruction, VOC assessment, sharps kit check and needlestick incident record, and a supervisor field verification checklist, written to work together.

What's included
  • Sharps and Discarded Needle Handling safe work instruction
  • Sharps and Discarded Needle Handling VOC assessment, with an Excel VOC register
  • Sharps kit check and needlestick incident record, and a supervisor checklist
  • Setup guide: what to adapt for your site

Sharps and Discarded Needle Handling VOC Assessment Template

For: Supervisors, WHS advisers and workplace assessors

Verify workers: knowledge questions with a marking guide, a practical observation checklist, fail criteria and sign-off.

What's included
  • Knowledge questions with a marking guide
  • Practical observation checklist
  • Evidence requirements and safety-critical fail criteria
  • Assessor sign-off, plus an Excel VOC register

Sharps and Discarded Needle Handling Field Verification Checklist

For: Supervisors, managers and WHS advisers

The supervisor's field verification checklist from the pack, on its own: checks on site that the controls for the work are in place and working.

What's included
  • Checks marked Pass, Not met or N/A, with the evidence seen
  • Critical controls marked, with same-shift escalation
  • Questions for the people doing the work
  • Actions, owners, due dates and sign-off, plus a setup note