Handling & Disposal of Used Disposable Sharps

Purpose

To ensure the safe handling, containment, and disposal of used disposable sharps in order to protect patients, staff, and visitors from injury and exposure to bloodborne pathogens. This policy supports compliance with OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard and all applicable federal, state, and local regulations.

Policy Statement 

All used disposable sharps—including needles, lancets, blades, and any device capable of puncturing or cutting skin—must be handled and discarded using approved safety procedures. Sharps must never be thrown into regular trash or left unattended in treatment areas.

 Procedures

Immediate Disposal After Use

 

• Used sharps must be placed **immediately** into an approved sharps disposal container after use.  

• Staff must never recap, bend, break, or manually manipulate used sharps unless a device specifically designed for safe recapping is used.

Approved Sharps Containers 

Sharps containers must be:  

• Rigid, puncture‑resistant, and leak‑proof  

• Red in color or clearly labeled with the universal biohazard symbol  

• Equipped with a secure, closable lid  

 

 Handling and Storage 

•  Sharps containers must remain upright and securely closed when not in use.  

• Containers must be replaced before reaching the designated “fill line” (typically ¾ full).  

 

Transportation and Disposal

  

Only licensed biomedical waste vendors may remove and dispose of full sharps containers.  Disposal will be through contract with Stericycle.