The European Biosafety Network was established following the adoption of the new European Directive on Sharps Injuries with a commitment to improve the safety of patients and healthcare and non-healthcare workers. The founding partners of the Network are the Spanish General Council of Nursing and the British public services union UNISON.

The Network is an inclusive organisation made up of national and European professional institutions, representative associations, unions and other interested parties committed to the prevention and elimination of sharps injuries throughout the European Union. The Network's focus is on promoting and encouraging the early legislative implementation of the Directive in Member States by raising awareness, providing guidance, the dissemination of information and effective reporting and monitoring.

The Network is supported by the following organisations:

  • UNISON
  • Spanish Council of Nurses
  • Health First Europe
  • European Federation of Nurses Associations
  • BD
  • Thompsons
  • Jefferson Communications

European Biosafety Summit, Dublin, 1 June 2011

The European Biosafety Network and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation hosted the 2nd European Biosafety Summit in Dublin on Wednesday 1 June 2011. The Summit was held in the Coach House, Dublin Castle, and was addressed by the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, László Andor and representatives from European Member States.

The European Biosafety Summit highlighted the impact of sharps injuries and reported on progress within the Member States and across Europe towards implementation of the Sharps Directive and its transposition into national legislation. The European Biosafety Network published a practical toolkit for implementation at the Summit which can be downloaded below.

The toolkit is also available in Spanish, German, Italian and French on the resources page.

 

Summit Delegates
L-R: Cliff Williams, Assistant General Secretary UNISON and Co-Chair European Biosafety Network; Sheila Dickson, INMO President; Mary Davis (Speaker); Prof Dr Máximo González Jurado, President of the Spanish General Council of Nursing and Co-Chair of the European Biosafety Network; Annette Kennedy, Director of Professional Development INMO; Dr Blanaid Hayes (Speaker), Liam Doran General Secretary, INMO

The Network hosted the 1st European Biosafety Summit in Madrid between 1-2 June 2010 which coincided with the publication of the European Directive in the Official European Journal on 1 June.

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Prof Dr Máximo González Jurado, Co-Chair of the European Biosafety Summit and President of the Spanish General Council of Nursing (CGE), opens the Summit

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Prof Dr Máximo González Jurado, Co-Chair of the European Biosafety Summit and President of the Spanish General Council of Nursing (CGE), Jose Martinez Olmos, Spanish Secretary-General of Health, Cliff Williams, Co-Chair of the European Biosafety Summit and Regional Secretary of UNISON

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Cliff Williams, Co-Chair of the European Biosafety Summit and Regional Secretary of UNISON addresses the Summit

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