Of all the equipment used in bio-medical waste management Broward, sharps containers are certainly the one that should be mentioned in every conversation about medical waste disposal. In this short article, we will explain sharps containers and what you need to know about them.
What is a Sharps Container?
First of all, what are sharps containers? A sharps container, is a unique type of receptacle used for holding used medical needles and other sharp medical instruments. These are rigid, hard plastic containers, with a tight-fitting lid on the top that allows items such as needles to go in, but not to go out
A sharps container should be resistant to punctures and leak-proof. These are the two main qualities that these medical waste disposal receptacles must have if they are to fulfill their purpose and that is protecting the person who handles medical wastes and the community and environment as well.
This is exactly why sharps should never be discarded directly in a red biohazard plastic bag, or together with your household waste in the trash can. In the first case scenario, needs or whatever medical sharps else you put in it would easily rip open the bag and you would have infectious and hazardous material and items spilling all over. Anybody can see how that can be dangerous. On the other hand, when it comes to disposing medical sharps with regular waste, this is definitely something you should never do. Infectious and non-infectious wastes should always be kept separate. While one may simply stink, the other is actually biohazardous and contains microorganisms that may seriously harm your health.
Disposable and Reusable Sharps Containers Explained
There are two types of sharps containers:
1. Disposable sharps container is used, like the name suggests, only once. Once they are filled with medical sharps waste, these are destroyed by the medical waste removal company, or the hospital, if they have an incinerator in their facility. In many states in the U.S, only disposable sharps containers are allowed to be used.
2. Reusable sharps containers. Some states allow you to use the same sharps container multiple times. The receptacle gets emptied using an automated robot hand to ensure the safety of a medical waste removal worker. Its contents, of course, are destroyed in an incinerator, but the container itself is returned for cleaning and sterilization and is reused.
The fact is, use of sharps containers is something that is very strictly regulated both on the federal and on the state level. But this goes only so far as the health care organizations. Hospitals, clinics, nursery homes and other facilities who are using needles and other sharps, are required to dispose of them in commercial sharps containers. These containers are easily recognizable, being all-red, with a biohazard symbol on the top or front. However, when it comes to individuals using needles at home, the regulation is a bit more lax. Most states don’t have laws regulating sharps disposal, and so this is left to the best judgment of the person using them.
Health care facilities and people use and throw sharps every day by the millions. As such, sharps waste disposal is a great concern that can only be challenged through proper bio-medical waste management Broward.
