A safety needle assembly comprising: a hub which includes a proximal end for connection to a syringe and a distal end; a cannula including a proximal end fixed to the distal end of the hub, the cannula also including a lumen extending through the cannula and a distal end; a collar formed separately from the hub and mounted on the hub, the collar including a pair of spaced apart mounting ears; each of the mounting ears including two oppositely facing side surfaces, with one of the side surfaces of one mounting ear facing one of the side surfaces of the other mounting ear, each mounting ear having a width measured in a widthwise direction between distal and proximal ends of the mounting ear; and characterized in that: one of the side surfaces of each mounting ear being provided with a first groove extending in the widthwise direction from a distal side of the mounting ear toward a proximal side of the mounting ear and the other side surface of each mounting ear being provided with a second groove extending in the widthwise direction from the proximal side of the mounting ear toward the distal side of the mounting ear, each of the mounting ears being provided with a through hole formed by the overlapping first and second grooves (64,66); a protector positioned over the cannula and covering the distal end of the cannula, the protector being removable to expose the distal end of the cannula; a sheath provided with an interior and an opening extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal extent of the sheath, the sheath including a pair of pins each positioned in the through hole in one of the mounting ears to pivotally connect the sheath to the collar at a position outside the protector to permit the sheath, after removal of the protector to expose the distal end of the cannula, to pivot towards the cannula so that the cannula passes through the opening in the sheath and is positioned in the interior of the sheath in a position covered by the sheath. a hub which includes a proximal end for connection to a syringe and a distal end; a cannula including a proximal end fixed to the distal end of the hub, the cannula also including a lumen extending through the cannula and a distal end; a collar formed separately from the hub and mounted on the hub, the collar including a pair of spaced apart mounting ears; each of the mounting ears including two oppositely facing side surfaces, with one of the side surfaces of one mounting ear facing one of the side surfaces of the other mounting ear, each mounting ear having a width measured in a widthwise direction between distal and proximal ends of the mounting ear; and characterized in that: one of the side surfaces of each mounting ear being provided with a first groove extending in the widthwise direction from a distal side of the mounting ear toward a proximal side of the mounting ear and the other side surface of each mounting ear being provided with a second groove extending in the widthwise direction from the proximal side of the mounting ear toward the distal side of the mounting ear, each of the mounting ears being provided with a through hole formed by the overlapping first and second grooves (64,66); a protector positioned over the cannula and covering the distal end of the cannula, the protector being removable to expose the distal end of the cannula; a sheath provided with an interior and an opening extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal extent of the sheath, the sheath including a pair of pins each positioned in the through hole in one of the mounting ears to pivotally connect the sheath to the collar at a position outside the protector to permit the sheath, after removal of the protector to expose the distal end of the cannula, to pivot towards the cannula so that the cannula passes through the opening in the sheath and is positioned in the interior of the sheath in a position covered by the sheath. one of the side surfaces of each mounting ear being provided with a first groove extending in the widthwise direction from a distal side of the mounting ear toward a proximal side of the mounting ear and the other side surface of each mounting ear being provided with a second groove extending in the widthwise direction from the proximal side of the mounting ear toward the distal side of the mounting ear, each of the mounting ears being provided with a through hole formed by the overlapping first and second grooves (64,66); a protector positioned over the cannula and covering the distal end of the cannula, the protector being removable to expose the distal end of the cannula; a sheath provided with an interior and an opening extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal extent of the sheath, the sheath including a pair of pins each positioned in the through hole in one of the mounting ears to pivotally connect the sheath to the collar at a position outside the protector to permit the sheath, after removal of the protector to expose the distal end of the cannula, to pivot towards the cannula so that the cannula passes through the opening in the sheath and is positioned in the interior of the sheath in a position covered by the sheath.