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<aside> 🗒️ Summary: This page focusses on how to handle and dispose of medical sharps safely and securely.
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<aside> 👤 Who’s it for: All staff
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<aside> 📖 A sharp is any medical instrument, device or object which can cause cuts or injury (e.g., a scalpel, needle, broken glass). Sharps which are handled inappropriately or not disposed of correctly are dangerous.
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To prevent injury, we should always adhere to the following Do’s and Don’ts when handling sharps:
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| Ask for help when using sharps with a confused or agitated patient | Re-sheath a needle |
| Use a sharps tray with an integrated sharps container which conforms to BS7320 and UN3291 | Carry sharps in your hand. Sharps containers should be available at |
| the point of use | |
| Carry sharps containers away from the body, ensuring the | |
| the temporary closure mechanism is closed | Leave sharps lying around |
| Wear disposable gloves for invasive procedures and when there is a risk of exposure to contaminated sharps | Pass sharps from person to person by hand |
| Avoid unnecessary use of sharps | Attempt to retrieve an item from the sharps container |
| Use the correct size sharps container, as determined by the volume of sharps generated | Place a sharps container on the floor |
| Store sharps containers out of reach of vulnerable people | Place sharps containers inside waste bags prior to disposal |
| Use sharps containers for any other purpose than the disposal of sharps |
<aside> ❗ For certain procedures, needle-free equipment is available and must be used
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<aside> 💡 Needles with built-in safety features minimise the risk of injury. The use of needles with integrated safety features is essential in cases where there is a high risk of infection (e.g., taking the blood of a patient with potential hepatitis C), and preferred in all other instances.
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Sharps must always be disposed of immediately after use in a sharps bin, at the point of use (by the person who used them). Always take a sharps bin with you to the point of use.
Use the following diagram to help you select a suitable sharps bin:
<aside> ❗ It is the personal responsibility of the individual using a sharp to dispose of it safely, the exception being in situations where it may be necessary to delegate this responsibility to another named person (e.g., during surgical procedures).
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The following guidance should be followed when using a sharps bin: