What You Need to Know About Disposal of Sharps Containers

Some people faint when they see a needle. However, doctors often use these to administer a drug to a patient and surgeons use scalpel blades when operating. After they are done with sharps, they dispose of them in a way that ensures that used sharps don’t harm anyone after. Of course, we are talking about professionals, who likely know a thing or two about the disposal of sharps containers.

But what about people who don’t work in health care and have not received any training regarding disposal of sharps containers? Well, here is what you need to know about this if you’re going to dispose of sharps on your own.

Why do We Use Sharps Containers?

First of all, you might wonder why you would need a sharps container in the first place. To answer this question, you need to first consider what will be stored in it.

Sharps waste includes a wide variety of devices and objects used by health care professionals to lacerate or puncture the human or animal skin. This kind of waste is classified as “biohazardous” and therefore needs to be handled with the utmost care. This includes injection devices, blades and contaminated glass.

Such waste can pose a significant health danger to the person handling it, but also to the public if it is not disposed of properly. This is because if they penetrate the skin, sharps can spread blood-borne pathogens to the injured person and infect them with diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B (HBV) or Hepatitis C (HCV).

Because of this, used sharps should first be clipped or their cap put back on and then placed in a proper container. The container, which can usually be bought at a local medical supply store or a pharmacy if you are buying one for personal use should be made of hard plastic and have a closable lid for safety.

What do the Regulations Say About Disposal of Sharps Containers?

Disposal of sharps containers is also covered by several federal and state laws and is heavily regulated in the United States. For instance, Health and Safety Regulations 2013 for Sharps Instruments in Health care state the following:

“All employers are required under existing health and safety law to ensure that risks from sharps injuries are adequately assessed and appropriate control measures are in place. The Sharps Regulations build on the existing law and provide specific detail on requirements that must be taken by healthcare employers and their contractors”

This is, of course, just one of the many US laws that has the task of regulating sharps disposal and it is always a good idea to know your local laws if you’re going to do this.

Disposal of sharps containers should be done by licensed professionals. Contact Medical Waste Management (MWM) at https://medicalwastefl.com/contact-us/ or call us at 305-677-2343 today to get your sharps containers removed safely and quickly. We are looking forward to providing you with excellent customer service.