You know to dispose of sharps in a sharps container, but what happens to the full container? Whether you are working in a healthcare facility or you use a sharps container at home, the container must be disposed of properly so that needles and other sharp objects do not get into the environment. Proper disposal of sharps containers is part of safe needles disposal.
Sharps in a Facility or Hodme
If you are in a facility, you most likely have had training for sharps disposal. If you have a sharps container in your home, your home care nurse should have taught you that any needles, injection devices, syringes and lancets are to be disposed of in the sharps container. But, what do you do with the sharps container once it’s full?
How to Properly Dispose Sharps Containers
Sharps container disposal regulations dictate that you may not dispose of sharps in the regular trash.
The easiest way for safe sharps disposal is to contact MedWaste Services to pick up the full containers. In addition to safely disposing of sharps, we also pick up and process other medical waste.
Other methods of safe sharps disposal include locating a drop box at a hospital or doctor’s office. You may also check with the health department for safe sharps disposal near me. In some cases, hazardous waste collection sites may take full sharps container.
Any of these methods may require you to pay a fee.
Instead of taking a chance that someone else doesn’t dispose of the full sharps container properly, even if that place charges a fee, contact MedWaste Disposal to pick up your full sharps containers. Our fees are reasonable and there are never any hidden charges.
The Importance of Safely Disposing Sharps and Medical Waste
It is important that you know where to dispose of sharps. Improper sharps disposal could subject another person to infection through direct contact with a used sharp or by secondary contacts, such as with a pet that got into a sharps bin or otherwise found a used needle.
If the used sharps are traced back to you, you could face fines for improper disposal. Medical facilities definitely face fines for improper disposal.
Even if you handed the sharps container to someone for proper disposal and that company or person does not follow regulations, you could be charged with the improper disposal of sharps.
Other medical waste must also be disposed of properly. Next time you are in a medical facility, you might notice that each room has different containers for various types of medical waste, especially if you are in an area that treats cancer.
Sharps, medical waste and waste that may be contaminated with chemotherapy and radiation drugs all have their own disposal containers.
If you are getting treatment for cancer at home, you may need a sharps container and another container for anything that might be contaminated with chemo or radiation drugs. MedWaste Services will pick up all types of medical waste to ensure it is disposed of according to federal and state rules and regulations.
Sharps Containers
If your doctor or medical facility does not provide you with sharps containers, you may order them through MedWaste Services.
If you have questions about how to get rid of sharps containers, you may call our customer service number. We will help you set up an account to properly dispose of your sharps containers.
MedWaste Services is run by veterans and features an OSHA Compliance portal. For more information on medical waste disposal, contact our office today.