Medical Sharps: What You Need to Know for Safe Disposal

As an Indianapolis medical clinic, you are probably well aware of the laws and regulations surrounding safe sharps disposal. You’ve also most likely required your staff to undergo some type of sharps container disposal training. These regulations are in place for the health and safety of your staff and your patients, preventing accidental injury or, worse yet, contact with a bloodborne pathogen. The Med Monkey team would like to remind you of three very important safety measures to take when properly disposing of used sharps. 

Only Use Approved Containers

Although medical facilities do have sharps containers in their offices and exam rooms, this does not mean they are state-approved containers. At Med Monkey, we only provide our clients with environmentally friendly and secure plastic containers. These medical sharps disposal containers are also leak-resistant and puncture-resistant, making them safe for your patients and your staff. 

Do Not Place in Trash Cans

While it may seem like no big deal to use office trash cans once in a while for sharps disposal, this is a huge mistake. Someone could accidentally puncture themselves with a used needle. A curious child may find it in a garbage can. There are too many accidents that could occur because someone chose not to follow the protocol for sharps waste disposal. 

Do Not Flush Down the Toilet

Often people make the mistake of assuming it’s okay to flush sharps down the toilet or the drain. Placing sharps down the toilet poses a multitude of public safety issues as the sharp and its contents will eventually end up in the water system. There’s no excuse for placing others at risk like this. The best solution is to always use an approved sharps container.

Convenient & Efficient Sharps Disposal

At Med Monkey, we are pleased to extend reliable and budget-friendly sharps waste removal, red bag waste removal, and regulated medical waste removal to medical facilities throughout the Indianapolis area. Request a free quote on any of these services today by calling our office at (317) 855-9248.

“3 Things to Know Before Disposing of Sharps.” Blog post. Medical Waste Services. VisionAmp Marketing, 28 Aug. 2018. Web.16 July. 2020.