Who Should You Trust with Your Sharps Pick Up Service? And Why Is It Important?
Needles, syringes, lancets or “finger stick” devices, auto injectors – including epinephrine and insulin pens, infusion sets, and connection needles/sets are all included in the medical term, “sharps.” These devices are used every day in home-based and hospital-based healthcare efforts.
However, as much good as sharps accomplish, they are incredibly dangerous, as well.
The Sting of Sloppy Sharps Disposal
Approximately 385,000 accidental needlesticks and sharps-related injuries are reported in hospital-based healthcare every year, not including other healthcare settings, including nursing homes, clinics, emergency care services, and individuals’ homes. In addition, without a quality, full-service sharps pick up service, the risk of occupational exposure to the transmission of hepatitis B, tetanus, hepatitis C, HIV, and other bloodborne pathogens drastically increases to those beyond the hospital walls.
Every year in the United States, over 7 billion sharps are thrown away. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), up to 850,000 people are injured every year by sharps in home waste, not including incidents at health care facilities.
The sheer quantity of needles being used every day makes choosing the right sharps pick up service and the proper disposal process a matter of life and death.
The Process for Proper Disposal
Many sharps-users – whether from home or in medical facilities – use sharps for the treatment of conditions such as diabetes, MS, infertility, etc. Once these sharps have been used, they should be immediately placed in an FDA-approved container. These specific containers are made of puncture-resistant plastic. They are leak-resistant and have a tight fitting, puncture-resistant lid.
These containers should then be picked-up and replaced by a professional sharps pick up service.
Although prior to 1997, more than 90 percent of “potentially infectious medical waste” was burned after being picked up, in August of 1997, the EPA‘s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards established regularly reviewed regulations that imposed strict emission standards on medical waste incinerators.
Therefore, qualified sharps pick up services began utilizing alternative approaches to disposing of medical sharps, including thermal treatments – such as microwave technologies, and steam sterilization – such as autoclaving. These, and other, processes render the medical waste non-infectious so that it can more safely be disposed of as solid waste in landfills or incinerators.
Essential Qualifications for Your Sharps Pick Up Service
Your sharps pick up service is not one that you should take lightly. In most cases, especially if you have a large amount of sharps to be disposed of, a local medical waste disposal company will be your best option.
However, it is important that you be aware of, and pay attention to, the certifications and regulations for your state, ask lots of pertinent service-related questions, and make sure that you discuss essential topics with your provider, including:
- The type of medical waste being generated
- Proper segregation, packaging and labeling procedures
- Licensure for transporting any untreated medical waste off-site
- Treatment/processing/disposal facilities being utilized
- Frequency of medical waste removal
- Appropriate training provided to employees
- Etc.
The company you choose should be fully compliant with all federal and state laws, also be equipped to provide you with the proper paperwork and proof of destruction for your medical waste.
To learn more about the secure destruction of your sharps, or to request a FREE quote from a quality, full-service local sharps pick up service, contact Secure Destruction Medical today!
