Scalpel Safety, Not Safety Scalpels
Sharps safety equals a safety device plus a safe work practice.
Re: "Make the Switch to Safety Scalpels" (September, page 69). A safety scalpel is safe only if and when the safety feature (retractable blade) is activated. To make doubly sure, the best sharps safety program would combine a safety device with a safe work practice of using a passing tray or neutral zone. If this practice is accepted, as a manufacturer we will be able to make devices that both better satisfy the surgeon and are safer than the traditional scalpel.