Health Service Executive: Reducing ligature risks from plastic bags (23 April 2026)

Summary

This Patient Safety Supplement aims to raise staff awareness of the risk of self‑harm with people using plastic bags as ligatures in Health Service Executive (HSE) and HSE‑funded services, including emergency care, in the Republic of Ireland. A ligature is an item used for tying or binding something tightly. To help prevent the risk of self-harm from bin bags or liners, this supplement shares alternative product options, including for sanitary bins. These options are based on learning from a number of our mental health services across the country.