Young girl pricked picking up needle at Roebuck Primary School in Western Australia

An Aussie primary school has written to parents assuring them they are remaining “vigilant” after a young girl was pricked while picking up a discarded needle on the school grounds.

A young girl has been pricked while picking up a discarded needle at an Aussie primary school – prompting a letter to parents assuring them staff would remain “vigilant” in keeping their grounds safe.

The Nightly reports the eight-year-old girl was jabbed while picking up the needle at Roebuck Primary School in Western Australia on Tuesday.

The school’s principal Nikki Sandilands wrote to parents that same day to advise them a needle and syringe had been found on the school grounds.

“The parents of these students have been contacted and classroom teachers will speak to our students tomorrow about not touching anything they find on the grounds and instead report it to a duty teacher,” she wrote.

“We will continue to be vigilant in keeping the grounds secure and safe.

“Please don’t hesitate to contact me at the school if your child requires additional support.”

The Department of Education would not confirm the alleged injury to NewsWire for privacy reasons.

A young girl at Roebuck Primary School in WA was pricked while picking up a discarded needle on school grounds, The Nightly reports. The Department of Education would not confirm the alleged injury to NewsWire for privacy reasons. Picture: Getty Images

The letter from Roebuck Primary School principal Nikki Sandilands to parents and carers about the discovery of a needle on school grounds. Picture: Supplied

The school is located in the Shire of Broome, which ropes in the town of Broome and stretches along the WA coastline from Dampier Peninsula to Eighty Mile Beach in the Kimberley region.

WA Health distributes needles and syringes via providers to reduce the prevalence of bloodborne viruses in people who inject drugs.

“The purpose of this important public health program is to help reduce the incidence of sharing and reusing of injecting equipment which aims to decrease the spread of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C among people who inject drugs and potentially the wider community,” a health spokeswoman told NewsWire.

“It is a requirement that all needles and syringes distributed in WA are provided with a safe disposal container.

“Pre-packaged needle and syringe packs include a disposal receptacle and are labelled with safe disposal information.

“All needle and syringe program providers are taught to educate their clients on safe disposal.”

Roebuck Primary School is located in Broome in WA's Kimberley Region. Picture: Google Maps

Broome Shire president Councillor Chris Mitchell said needle stick injuries were a “problem” across all of WA.

“It’s a problem across the Kimberley, across the state, because people don’t discard the needles properly and in some cases people get needle stick injuries,” he said.

He said four council workers have suffered stick injuries in the past couple of years.

“Shire workers are picking them up constantly when they are doing their rounds,” he said.

“Then you go through all the stress of finding out if you’ve got other issues.”

The council is now lobbying the health department to introduce single use retractable needles to

“So far we have been advised it is more costly but that shouldn’t come into the argument,” he said.