A needle shield assembly comprising: a needle having a first diameter and a distal tip; a canting plate; and a shield for covering the needle tip of the needle, said shield having a distal end and a proximal opening, said shield comprising an actuator arm having on its proximal end an integrally formed proximal retention washer with a proximal opening and on its distal end an integrally formed front wall, said front wall being in engagement with the needle in an unactuated condition of the shield, wherein the shield covers the needle tip when the needle is pulled sufficiently proximal, so that the shield takes an actuated condition when the front wall disengages from the needle; characterized by a static feature on the needle having at least one second diameter larger than the needle first diameter, said proximal opening of said shield, having a diameter smaller than said second diameter, whereby tip escape from the shield is restricted distally by the canting of the canting plate and proximally by the restricted movement of the second diameter through the shield proximal opening, said shield further comprising first and second u-shaped members, wherein the canting plate is configured to slide within said first and second u-shaped members, wherein the first and second u-shaped members are attached to the actuator arm for maintaining the canting plate in position about the needle, and configured to move between a first position in the actuated condition and a second position in the unactuated condition, wherein in an unactuated condition the retention washer and the actuator arm are flexed away from each other and maintained in this flexed condition by the presence of the needle, and in the actuated condition the u-shaped sleeves are displaced with respect to the retention washer whereby the canting plate is tilted with respect to the needle and thereby engages the exterior of the needle. a needle having a first diameter and a distal tip; a canting plate; and a shield for covering the needle tip of the needle, said shield having a distal end and a proximal opening, said shield comprising an actuator arm having on its proximal end an integrally formed proximal retention washer with a proximal opening and on its distal end an integrally formed front wall, said front wall being in engagement with the needle in an unactuated condition of the shield, wherein the shield covers the needle tip when the needle is pulled sufficiently proximal, so that the shield takes an actuated condition when the front wall disengages from the needle; characterized by a static feature on the needle having at least one second diameter larger than the needle first diameter, said proximal opening of said shield, having a diameter smaller than said second diameter, whereby tip escape from the shield is restricted distally by the canting of the canting plate and proximally by the restricted movement of the second diameter through the shield proximal opening, said shield further comprising first and second u-shaped members, wherein the canting plate is configured to slide within said first and second u-shaped members, wherein the first and second u-shaped members are attached to the actuator arm for maintaining the canting plate in position about the needle, and configured to move between a first position in the actuated condition and a second position in the unactuated condition, wherein in an unactuated condition the retention washer and the actuator arm are flexed away from each other and maintained in this flexed condition by the presence of the needle, and in the actuated condition the u-shaped sleeves are displaced with respect to the retention washer whereby the canting plate is tilted with respect to the needle and thereby engages the exterior of the needle.