A blood collection assembly includes a housing and a cannula extendingdistally from the housing including a patientend, and a cannula shield removably engaged with a portion of the housing. Thecannula shield is capable of shielding atleast the patient end of the cannula, and includes a safety shield engagement.The assembly includes a pivoting safety shieldengaged with a portion of the housing, which is transitionable from aretracted position in which the patient end of the cannula isexposed, to an extended position in which the patient end of the cannula isshielded by at least a portion of the safety shield. Thesafety shield includes at least one locking tab releasably engageable with thesafety shield engagement, wherein the locking tab isfixedly engageable with a portion of the housing in the extended position.
