• Wear sharps-resistant gloves for all tasks involving sewage debris and screenings.
• Get vaccinated against hepatitis B if you work with sewage or at treatment works.
• Report any needlestick injury immediately and seek urgent medical assessment.
• Use mechanical raking tools rather than hands to clear screens and remove rags.
• Dispose of found needles in a proper sharps container; never put them in bags.
• Wash needlestick wounds immediately with soap and water; encourage bleeding.
• Know where the nearest sharps container and first aid kit are located.
• Attend occupational health for blood testing after any needlestick incident.
• Assume all needles found in sewage are contaminated with blood-borne viruses.
• Brief all workers at treatment works on the needlestick injury reporting procedure.

• DON'T handle sewage screenings or rags without sharps-resistant gloves.
• DON'T pick up needles with bare hands or standard nitrile gloves.
• DON'T put found needles into plastic bags, bins, or general waste containers.
• DON'T squeeze or suck a needlestick wound; wash with soap and water only.
• DON'T delay reporting a needlestick injury; PEP treatment is time-critical.
• DON'T reach into screening baskets, rag bins, or channels with unprotected hands.
• DON'T decline hepatitis B vaccination if you work with sewage regularly.
• DON'T assume a small scratch from a needle is harmless; always report it.
• DON'T recap or bend found needles before placing them in a sharps container.
• DON'T ignore the occupational health follow-up appointments after a needlestick.

See also: Wastewater Treatment Works Safety Awareness | Inlet Works and Screening Safety