Nobody wants to get stuck with sharps non-compliance. Learn the alwayses, nevers, and best practices
of sharps container disposal to stay safely on the right side of compliance.
Sharps containers are probably the most visible parts of medical waste compliance. They’re also among the most regulated, both for your facility and for your sharps disposal service. The rules are intentionally strict, but they aren’t oppressive. Once you know the regulations and how to handle containers properly, sharps disposal becomes much safer and a lot less stressful.
What Counts as a Sharp?
Most people only think about syringes and needles when they think about sharps, but in fact, a sharp is self-defined. A sharp is any object that’s capable of puncturing or lacerating. Some exist for the express purpose of cutting through human skin. Others are just sharp.
The definition of sharps includes:
- Needles and syringes
- Lancets and self-injectors
- Scalpels, blades, and other surgical tools
- Dental wire and orthodontics
- Pipettes
- Infusion sets
- Tattoo needles
- Aesthetic and piercing tools
- Broken glass or sharp plastic
The list is long because there are two potential risks with sharps: physical injury from cuts and needlesticks, and the high risk of spreading pathogens. Anyone — you, your staff, patients, waste handlers, or anyone else who may come in contact with a sharp — can be harmed unless you’re well trained in compliance and don’t cut corners.
Sharps Container Disposal, Simplified
Sharps container regulations are governed by a combination of federal, state, and local authorities. But instead of memorizing individual statues, it’s more helpful to understand a couple basic rules and stick to them.
Always
- Always consider sharps regulated medical waste (RMW) even if they’re unused.
- Always use dedicated puncture-resistant, leak-proof plastic sharps containers that have a secure lid.
- Always label sharps containers appropriately.
Never
- Never place sharps in red bags or regular trash.
- Never use temporary or makeshift sharps containers.
- Never let sharps containers get too full or overflow.
Best Practices
- Place sharps containers close to the point of use, even in small spaces.
- Keep containers easily accessible to anyone who might need them, but make sure they close firmly and can’t be re-opened.
- Wall-mount containers or place them on stable surfaces to avoid tipping or accidental contact.
- Choose a container that’s the right size depending on how much sharps waste your facility generates.
- Contact your sharps disposal service before you need a pickup to prevent unsafe storage.
Meet the Sharps Regulatory Bodies
Beyond best practices, any facility that has a sharps container needs to follow compliance rules set by federal, state, and local regulations. If that sounds like a lot of rules to follow, don’t worry. Keystone Med Waste can help train your team so you’ll know what’s required, wherever you are. At a high level, these regulatory bodies are always involved:
OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) sets standards for employee safety, including how sharps are handled, contained, labeled, and replaced under the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard.
The federal DOT (Department of Transportation) regulates how sharps containers are packaged, labeled, and documented during transportation off-site.
Because regulations vary by location and change over time, you can rely on your licensed medical sharps disposal service to stay up to date and compliant. Keystone always complies with all federal, state, and local laws regarding sharps and medical waste disposal and processing.
Don’t Get Stuck with Unsafe Sharps Handling
Nobody wants to mishandle sharps — the risk of injury alone is enough to convince most people to follow the rules. Bring in strict regulations, legalities, and the potential for spreading disease, and team members suddenly start taking sharps compliance training more seriously.
Once you and your team are properly trained, leave safe medical sharps disposal to the professionals. Keystone’s hands-off pickup process keeps you safe and creates a trail of documentation so you’ll know your medical waste is disposed correctly and compliantly.
Ready for hassle-free sharps collection? Call Keystone Med Waste to set up your flexible sharps pickup schedule.