If you frequently have to use needles at home to deal with a health condition, your doctor may have supplied you with a sharps bin. Sharps bins are designed to deal with medical needles which could pose a risk to others. If you have been supplied with a sharps bin, it is your responsibility to use it to dispose of your needles safely. Below is a guide which will help you to learn how to use a sharps bin safely.

Set the bin up

While sharps bins contain few parts, it is essential that the bin is properly set up before you begin to use it. This means that you need to check that the lid of the bin is securely in place and cannot be removed. If you begin to use a sharps bin which has a loose lid, you could place yourself and others at risk of a needle injury.

Keep it close by

You should keep your sharps bin close by and within easy reach. This way, whenever you have finished with a needle, you will be able to pop it straight into the sharps bin. Although you need the sharps bin at close hand, you should make sure that it is kept well away from any children or pets who may be curious about what is inside it.

Do not place other items in the bin

A sharps bin is designed for needles and nothing else. You should not place other medical waste such as band-aids, cotton balls or bandages into the sharps bin. Doing so could lead to needles falling out of the bin once they have been placed into it.

Use the lock on the sharps bin

Most sharp bins feature a safety lock which will close the slot into which needles are placed. Using this lock when storing the sharps bin can offer another layer of protection if it is knocked over.

Do not overfill the bin

Your sharps bin will feature a maximum fill line. As the name suggests, you should never continue to place needles in the bin once the waste inside reaches this line. When this line is reached, you should arrange for the disposal of the sharps bin.

Call a sharps collection service

Sharps bins cannot be disposed of with your household waste. Instead, you will need to call a professional sharps collection service who will visit your home to collect the bin.

If you would like to find out more, contact a medical waste management company.