Safe Disposal For Needles And Syringes

It is very important to manage needles and syringes in the hospital setting. Any device that is used to puncture or lacerate the skin needs to be properly disposed of. These are considered biohazardous waste and must be very carefully handled. Syringes, needles, blades and contaminated glass and even some plastics, are in this category.

In addition to the sharps, anything such as a syringe connected to a needle, is considered sharps waste. Although the syringe cannot puncture the skin, because it was connected to the needle, it is now considered part of the hazardous waste. If a glass or plastic container has been contaminated with biohazardous material, then it is also treated the same as the needles.

If the sharp penetrates the skin, it is possible for the biohazard waste to spread blood-borne pathogens. Hospital staff expose themselves to the risk of transmission of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV, on a daily basis. The volume handled by the staff increases the chances that an accident can occur. Proper handling of the biohazardous waste helps to decrease these risks.

The best way to help prevent injuries is to take extreme care with the management and disposal of the waste. Hospital staff should minimize their contact with the sharps, handling them as little as possible. Hospitals have strict protocols which follows the government regulations, to ensure that staff handle the waste safely and that the waste is disposed of effectively.

Sharp containers are available in various sizes, for the disposal of these needles and syringes, blades, and other biohazardous waste. These heavy duty plastic containers are self-locking and sealable. The containers are made so that the whole container can be disposed of with the other biohazardous waste.

Disposal methods vary from state to state, but the common practice is, the disposal of the biohazardous waste by a truck service. Some hospitals and clinics, have a routine company that comes through the patient rooms and nurses' station and changes the containers for the staff. The staff then changes the sharps containers in between the company's trips, if necessary. Most facilities have the protocol, that these are to be changed when they are 2/3 full. The main cause of accidental needle sticks is needle sticking out of the sharp containers. Always check the policies and protocols for the facility and observe them closely.

The amount of injections that are given worldwide is astronomical. More than 16 billion a year are given, contributing to the increase in the accidental needle stick problem. The development of safety features, such as the auto-disable injection device, which retracts the needle back into the syringe, has helped decrease the accidental needle stick problem. Never recap a needle, always follow the policy of the facility for disposal and be careful.