Sharps include items with edges or points that can be used to lacerate or puncture the skin, such as syringes, needles, injection devices, lancets, blades, and scissors.
Aside from the obvious dentists, doctors, and medical facilities who use sharps in their daily practice, today we see sharps more and more on the high street and in our homes. Aesthetic practices, beauty salons, tattoo studios, schools, nurseries, and many other places use sharps.
Sharps are classed as hazardous waste. When a sharp has been used, it is contaminated and needs to be disposed of carefully in order to prevent infections from spreading. But how do you dispose of hazardous waste safely? Evidence has shown that the safest way to dispose of sharps once your sharps bin is full is to book a sharps bins disposal service. Keep reading below to find out more:
How to Safely Store Sharps Until They Are Collected
Here are some tips to help you safely handle sharps:
- Wear gloves
- Once the sharp has been used, put it directly into a sharp’s container
- Once the container is two thirds full, secure the top
- Keep the container away from children
- Wash hands after handling sharps
Where to Dispose of Sharps Bins
There are several places you can dispose of sharps bins safely including:
- At a local collection site
- You can post some sharps to a collection site for proper disposal – this service usually incurs a fee
- A sharps bin disposal service – this is the most suitable option for healthcare settings and dental practices.
How to Book a Sharps Bin Disposal
If you would like to book a sharps bin disposal, then follow the advice below:
- You will need to ensure that your sharps are stored in a genuine sharps container
- Next, you will need to contact your local collection company to find out about their service – some programs offer regular pickup schedules, while others require customers to call for pickup
- If the program near you requires you to call to book your sharps bin disposal, then you will need to do this
- If the collection is from a home address, you will need to place the container outside your property for collection – try and make sure that the container is not visible to passers-by
- If the collection is from a medical facility, ask them where they would like to collect the sharps bins from
People use syringes, needles, and lancets, also called sharps for a range of reasons including to treat certain medical conditions like diabetes and cancer, and for beauty treatments. Safely disposing of sharps not only protects the people around you but it also protects sanitation employees and the environment too. Despite this, more and more often they are found incorrectly disposed of. If the healthcare facility you work in uses a sharps bin, make sure you know how to book a sharps bin disposal service in your area.
