A Complete Guide to Sharps Disposal
With various guidelines and regulations surrounding sharps disposal, navigating all the dos and don’ts can be difficult. In this complete guide to sharps disposal, we cover everything you need to know, including what sharps are, how to dispose of sharps, and where to take full sharps containers. If you need to know anything about sharps disposal, you have come to the right place!
What are Sharps?
Sharps can be any type of waste that may pierce, cut, or puncture the skin. Some items categorised as sharps include:
- Hypodermic needles
- Disposable scalpels and blades
- Contaminated or broken glass
- Razor blades
- Scissors
- Sharp knives
- Other needles, such as tattoo or piercing needles
- Pins and staples
- And more…
Essentially, any type of waste that can cause injury or infection through cuts or punctures is classified as sharps waste. You can typically find these items in hospitals, GP surgeries, veterinaries, and cosmetic studios such as tattoo parlours, hair salons, or cosmetic studios.
How to Dispose of Sharps
There are strict regulations to follow when disposing of sharps. Regulations, including Sharps Regulations 2013 and Sharps Regulations 2015, state a means of sharps disposal should be provided so the correct, safe disposal of sharps can be carried out. Steps to dispose of sharps correctly include:
- Dispose of sharps immediately after use.
- Place sharps in the sharps bin without touching the sides of the bin to prevent cross-contamination.
- Travel the shortest possible distance when disposing of sharps
- Never press down on sharps waste to make more room in the sharps bin.
- Empty the sharps bin when 3/4 full to avoid any accidents.
Sharps Disposal Regulations UK
There are multiple sharps disposal regulations you must follow as a business owner. The main regulations you should consider are Sharps Regulations 2013 and Sharps Regulations 2015. These regulations outline how to use and dispose of sharps safely and the responsibility of organisations. Some of the steps organisations must follow include:
- Minimise the use of sharps to only when necessary.
- Discard of sharps immediately after use.
- Ensuring there are clearly marked sharps disposal bins available.
- Keep sharps bins in safe spaces away from children.
- Install sharps bins in areas of convenience, allowing individuals disposing of sharps to travel short distances.
- Ensure all staff have training and are educated on sharps disposal.
- Regularly review policies and procedures surrounding sharps disposal.
Other waste disposal regulations to think about are:
- HSE Sharps Regulations
- Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health 2002 (COSHH)
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How to Get a Sharps Bin
With one of the expectations of businesses being to provide a sharps disposal bin for the safe disposal of sharps, it is important to know where to obtain a sharps bin. You can purchase your sharps bin here at Woosh! But be aware there are different coloured sharps bins that are used to contain different forms of waste. There are three types of sharps bins:
- Yellow lids and bins: Sharps contaminated with medicines must be placed in a yellow bin or sharps bin with a yellow lid. These sharps bins are colour-coded to contain clinical and highly infectious waste that has been used for medicine.
- Orange lids and bins: This colour is for sharps waste that has not been contaminated with medicine. This can include sharps that have been contaminated with blood or unwrapped needles.
- Purple lids and bins: Purple coloured sharps bins are for the disposal of sharps that have been contaminated with cytotoxic or cytostatic medicines.
Where to Take a Full Sharps Container
Once your sharps disposal bin is 3/4 full, you must empty it before it becomes completely full. But how do you dispose of sharps containers? You can either go to a hazardous waste collection site or hire a licensed waste management company to dispose of your sharps waste regularly.
At Woosh, we offer a sharps waste disposal service, taking away all the stresses of sharps disposal! We even provide the sharps bin for you. If you are a business in need of a licensed sharps waste management company, contact us today.
Do Chemists Take Sharps Bins?
Some chemists offer a sharps waste disposal service. However, this is generally for individuals who may need to use needles for their own health rather than for businesses. Any needles must still be contained in a sealed sharps bin to maintain the safety of pharmacy staff and the individuals themselves.
How to Dispose of Sharps Without a Container
It is illegal to dispose of sharps without a proper sharps waste container as per the regulations set out earlier. All sharps must be disposed of in containers, such as sharps bins, that are resistant to punctures and colour-coded to ensure anyone handling the sharps bins understands their contents.
At Woosh, we offer sharps disposal bins that come in a range of sizes to suit your needs. Simply order a sharps disposal bin to follow the rules and regulations and protect your staff from injury or infection from unsafe sharps disposal. Failure to follow sharps regulations breaks health and safety laws, which means you can be fined or shut down if found to mishandle hazardous waste. Ensure you are following sharps disposal regulations by ordering a sharps bin today!
Ensure Safe Disposal of Sharps with Woosh
Protect your customers and staff by offering a safe method of disposing of sharps. With a sharps disposal bin, you ensure your business follows the regulations surrounding sharps disposal. Unsafe sharps disposal can not only injure or infect individuals handling sharps but you could also be fined or shut down over unsafe sharp disposal practices.
The safety of your staff and customers must be a priority! At Woosh, we offer sharps disposal bins and a sharps bin collection service, making sharps disposal easier. There’s no need to handle sharp waste on your own. Get in touch with us today to handle your sharps waste with care.
Sharps Disposal FAQs
Can I take my sharps bin to the pharmacy?
You can take your sharps bin to the pharmacy if you have any sharps that have been used for personal medicinal use. These used sharps must be in a sealed container to ensure the safety of pharmacy staff and the individuals themselves. If you are a business looking for sharps bin disposal, you can take your sharps waste to a hazardous waste collection site or contact a licensed waste management company such as Woosh.
How to dispose of needles
Needles are a form of sharps that must be disposed of in the correct manner. All sharps must be placed into a sharps bin to prevent cross-contamination between individuals and prevent injury.
What the needle was used for dictates the colour of the sharps bin you should use. For example, needles contaminated with medicine should be placed in a sharps bin with a yellow lid or a yellow sharps bin, whereas needles that have been used to draw blood should be placed in orange bins or sharps bins with orange lids.
Two things to remember when handling sharps include to dispose of sharps immediately after use and to place sharps in the sharps bin without touching the sides of the bin to prevent cross-contamination.
How to Dispose of Sharps Containers
Sharps container disposal can be handled in two ways. You can either go to a hazardous waste collection site or get in touch with a licensed waste management company that offers disposal of sharps containers services. At Woosh, we can provide a sharps disposal bin and sharps container disposal service, taking the hassle out of sharps disposal. Get in touch with our Wooshologists to find out more.
Sharps bins are what colour?
Sharps bins can come in different colours and sizes. The colours represent the bin's contents to ensure the safety of any staff handling the sharps containers.
- Yellow: Any sharps containers that have a yellow lid or are entirely yellow are for the disposal of sharps that are highly infectious and contaminated with medicines.
- Orange: Orange represents any sharps that have been clinically used but not contaminated with medicine. This includes needles that have been used to take blood samples or unwrapped needles.
- Purple: Purple Bins contain sharps contaminated with cytotoxic or cytostatic medicines.
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