Safety syringe

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Safety syringes are designed to protect people from needlestick injuries by including a built-in safety feature. They can have a detachable or fixed needle, and some designs use a sheath that covers the needle after use or have the needle retract into the barrel. Safety needles share the same goal, but the safety mechanism is built into the needle itself rather than the syringe.

Types of safety syringes
- Auto Disable (AD) syringes: intended for single use; after pressing the plunger, the syringe can’t be used again.
- Breakable plunger syringes: the plunger cracks when fully depressed to prevent reuse (not always foolproof if the user doesn’t fully depress).
- Needlestick Prevention Syringes: combine a safety mechanism with a sheath that covers the needle after the injection.
- Retractable syringes: the needle retracts into the barrel, either manually or with a spring. Some spring-powered retractors can cause a splatter effect, so handling matters.
- Glass vs. plastic: traditional glass syringes could be reused after disinfection, while plastic syringes are typically disposable.

Disposal and safety
- Sharps containers are used to safely collect needles, lancets, and other sharp items. They should be easily accessible and placed close to where sharps are used.
- Do not mix sharps with regular waste. Keep broken glass and contaminated sharps in separate, proper containers.
- Safe disposal practices help prevent exposure to bloodborne pathogens.

Decontamination and chemicals
- Some equipment and surfaces can be cleaned with disinfectants that require a specific contact time to work effectively.
- Disinfectants approved by safety authorities are used to protect against bloodborne pathogens such as HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C.