People use sharps to treat medical conditions such as allergies, cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, arthritis, migraines, etc. Some also use sharps to illegally inject drugs. These are called community sharps as they are used in a non-medical setting.
More often than not, these sharps get disposed haphazardly, without any proper disposal. Disposing sharps like this can pose grave dangers of injury and infection to whoever comes in contact with it. The people likely to come in contact with sharps in such a manner are community children, janitors, cleaners, waste haulers, recycling plant workers, housekeepers and sewage treatment workers. Hence it is essential that disposal of community sharps should be properly done.
- Community sharps should be kept separate from other waste. It shouldn’t be mixed with household waste and disposed in domestic and public bins. Also, it shouldn’t be disposed down the toilet flush, drains or discarded in the environment.
- Dispose it in a puncture-resistant container (not glass) and seal it when it is three-quarters full. Always dispose the sharp with the sharp end first.
- Sharps disposal bins should be placed in every neighbourhood to prevent the risky community sharps getting mixed with other trash. These bins should be strictly used only for sharps disposal.
- For local businesses, sharps disposal bins should be installed in restrooms, toilets and other needed areas of the factory. A contractor should be hired to remove all the disposed sharps periodically.
- Wear gloves when disposing the sharps. Don’t do it with your bare hands. One ought to use a plier or tongs to pick up the sharps.
Bio Cleanse Pty Ltd offers professional sharps disposal services. Visit www.bio-cleanse.com.au for more information.
