What is Sharps Waste?

What is Sharps Waste?

By definition, sharps waste is any biohazardous material that can puncture skin and is contaminated with bodily fluids. Healthcare workers handling medical equipment such as needles, syringes, and scalpels are at risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens from sharps-related injuries. Therefore, it is crucial for medical clinics, practices, surgery centers, and others that generate contaminated needles and syringes to dispose of medical sharps waste correctly.

Qualifying materials

In addition to needles and blades, anything attached to them, such as syringes and injection devices, is also considered sharps waste.

Blades can include razors, scalpels, X-Acto knives, scissors, or any other medical items used for cutting in a medical setting, regardless of if they have been contaminated with biohazardous material. While glass and sharp plastic are considered sharps waste, their handling methods can vary.

Glass items which have been contaminated with a biohazardous material are treated with the same concern as needles and blades, even if unbroken. If glass is contaminated, it is still often treated as a sharp, because it can break during the disposal process. Contaminated plastic items which are not sharp can be disposed of in a biohazardous waste receptacle instead of a sharps container.

Dangers involved

Injuries from sharps waste can pose a large public health concern, as used sharps may contain biohazardous material. It is possible for this waste to spread blood-borne pathogens if contaminated sharps penetrate the skin. The spread of these pathogens is directly responsible for the transmission of blood-borne diseases, such as hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), and HIV. Health care professionals expose themselves to the risk of transmission of these diseases when handling sharps waste. The large volume handled by health care professionals on a daily basis increases the chance that an injury may occur.

The general public can occasionally be at risk of sustaining injuries from sharps waste as well when hypodermic needles are improperly disposed of by injection drug users.

What to do if You get Accidentally Stuck by a Used Sharp

The FDA offers some safety procedures should you get accidentally stuck by another person’s used needles or sharps. Here are the steps to take:

Immediately wash the exposed area with soap and water or skin disinfectant such as hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

Call your physician or local hospital right away to get tested for any infections you may have picked up. These instructions are the same should you get blood or other bodily fluids in your eyes, mouth, nose or on your skin.

Improper sharps disposal places anybody who comes into contact with the waste in extreme danger. Be a responsible sharps user and properly discard your sharps to keep the people around you healthy.