Assessment of Sharps Injuries in Healthcare Workers: A Root Cause Analysis

Aim: This study aimed to identify the incidence and characteristics of sharps injuries among healthcare workers and to propose strategies for reducing biological risks through root cause analysis. Materials and Methods: Incident report forms documenting sharps injuries among healthcare workers at a private hospital in Istanbul between 2014 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Injuries were classified according to occupational group, year of occurrence, type of instrument, and nature of injury. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 25.0, with results presented as frequency distributions (number and percentage). Root cause analysis was performed to identify active and latent factors contributing to reported incidents. Results: Sharps injuries occurred most frequently in 2016 and least frequently in 2019. By occupational group, auxiliary staff, nurses, and physicians were most commonly affected. Root cause analysis indicated that active errors were primarily related to inattentiveness and insufficient use of personal protective equipment, while latent errors were associated with equipment deficiencies and organizational factors. Conclusion: Prevention of sharps injuries is a critical component of occupational health and safety. Systematic use of incident reporting, targeted occupational safety training, and comprehensive risk analyses are essential to minimize biological hazards and protect healthcare personnel.