How Should Sharps be Handled?
The proper handling of sharps waste is critical to the safety and protection of patients, staff and the business. OSHA standards state that a sharp is a contaminated or potentially contaminated object that can penetrate the skin. In healthcare, sharps are a form of biohazardous waste generated during the provision of care, treatment and services. There are many kinds of sharps found in healthcare organizations that are generated during the provision of various treatments and services.
These medical instruments can be considered as sharps:
- Scaples
- Hypodermic needles
- Wires, including dental wires
- Lancets
- Syringes
Sharps Containers
The FDA recommends that biohazardous sharps be immediately placed in FDA-cleared sharps disposal containers. Biogen offers FDA-cleared sharps disposal containers for our clients.
FDA evaluated sharps disposal containers meet the safety and effectiveness requirements and are cleared for use by healthcare professionals to help reduce the risk of injury and infections from sharps. These containers are made from rigid plastic and come marked with a line that indicates when the container should be considered full, which means it’s time to dispose of the container.