With a growing number of individuals needing to use medications such as insulin or hormone replacement therapies, once of the friendliest things you can do as an employer is to use a sharps collection service. In order to do so, though, you need to approach sharps disposal in the right way. In addition to making sure sharps collection is an option for you, the right practices promote safety throughout the workplace.

Understand what can be placed into a sharps bin 

Sharps collection bins aren't just for everyday needles. If your employees need to use lancets, such as the ones that come with blood sugar machines, they can go in there too. Additionally, you can dispose of syringes and the clippers that are used for removing the ends of needles before disposal. Discourage employees from using them for everyday waste or other types of medical packaging. Overfilling your sharps bin with medication packets is a waste of space and some companies may refuse to collect them when they're not used appropriately. 

Discourage using the wrong bins or ad-hoc storage containers

Once your employees are aware that the correct type of sharps collection is available on your premises, place signs around the bins they can use for other types of waste. The signs should highlight what they can't throw into everyday bins and where to find the sharps disposal units. Additionally, you should let them know that creating an ad-hoc container doesn't make using the general waste bin for sharps any safer. Some may feel tempted to place their sharps in empty cans or cardboard boxes for the sake of convenience, but this still poses the risk of others encountering a needlestick injury.

Make employees aware of when the sharps collection takes place

All employees in your workplace, but especially those who need to use sharps, should know when the collection day is. This makes life safer when it comes to risk management. Let your employees know that they should alert you if they feel the sharps box is overflowing close to the collection period. When your boxes are being collected, the lid needs to sit flush and it shouldn't be overflowing with sharps. Having an informal alert system in place allows you to address problems before they happen, not react to them when they do.

With sharps collection services, you can make your workplace a friendlier environment for those who need to use needles. By taking a proactive approach, you make your disposal services safe for everyone. 

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