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Laboratory Sharps: Handling and Disposal

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Environmental Health, Safety, & Risk Management

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October 2022

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Overview

  • Scope and purpose of training
  • What is a laboratory sharp?
  • Proper handling of sharps
  • Safe disposal of sharps
  • Procedures to follow in the event of a sharps injury

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Scope and purpose

Sharps can cause injuries ranging from punctures to cuts, and proper care must be taken when using and disposing of them in the laboratory.

    • Sharps such as needles and Pasteur pipets may be contaminated with chemical residue, thus resulting in a chemical exposure for a person who is punctured or cut by the item.

This training applies to all laboratory personnel using sharps, regardless of whether or not they are working with infectious agents, blood, or other body secretions (human or animal).

    • All sharps represent an injury hazard, regardless of what they were used for.

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What is a laboratory sharp?

Common sharps found in laboratories include:

    • Needles and syringes
    • Scalpel blades
    • Razor blades
    • Microscope slides and cover slips
    • Pasteur pipets

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Tips for handling and using sharps

To help reduce the risk of sharps injuries, heed the following work practices:

    • Organize your work space so that all materials for the experiment are ready and available before accessing the sharp device.
      • This helps reduce the chance of having to set an exposed needle down on the lab bench in order to retrieve other necessary supplies, for example.
    • Be prepared to use the device the moment the sharp is exposed (e.g., when the needle is uncapped, the razor blade removed from its wrapper)
    • Make sure you have adequate lighting to perform the task involving the sharp.
    • Locate your sharps container in your workspace.

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Tips for handling and using sharps (cont.)

Safe work practices (cont.)

    • Keep exposed sharps pointed away from yourself and others.
    • Never directly hand an exposed sharp to another person.
      • Instead, designate a “sharps passing zone” where exposed sharps are set down prior to being picked up by another person.
    • Be accountable for the sharps you use.
      • Look around after you complete your work and make sure that all sharps have been disposed of properly.

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Proper handling of needles and razor blades

  • Observing some simple rules will help keep you safe while handling needles and razor blades:
    • Never bend, break, or shear needles
    • Never remove needles from syringe barrels
    • Never recap needles after using
    • Never reuse razor blades

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Safe disposal of sharps

Needles (and syringe barrels), disposable scalpels, and razor blades should be placed in an appropriate sharps container.

    • Appropriate containers are:
      • Made of puncture-resistant plastic or other material
      • Closeable
      • Leak-proof on sides and bottoms

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Safe disposal of sharps (cont.)

Microscope slides, cover slips, and glass Pasteur pipets:

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    • Slides, cover slips, and/or glass Pasteur pipets contaminated with blood, infectious agents, or potentially infectious materials can be disposed of by one of the following methods:
      • in sharps container (must be labeled “Biohazard”)
      • decontaminated by placing in a beaker of freshly-prepared 10% bleach for 20 minutes and then discarding in the broken glass box.
    • If slides, cover slips, and/or glass Pasteur pipets are NOT contaminated with blood, infectious agents, or potentially infectious materials, they should be disposed of in a broken glass box
      • Disposal of non-contaminated glass in a biohazard sharps container generates unnecessary plastic waste

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Safe disposal of sharps (cont.)

To avoid injuries from sharps:

    • Never reach into a sharps disposal container or broken glass box
    • Never remove the lid from the container
    • Never force materials into the container
    • Never overfill the container
      • Some sharps containers are pre-marked with “fill lines”
      • If no fill line is marked, then fill container no more than ¾ full

What NOT to put in your sharps container or broken glass box:

    • Microfuge tubes
    • Unused chemical solutions
      • Sharps are disposed of in a different manner from hazardous wastes. Researchers who mix the two may be responsible for separating them for disposal.

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Safe disposal of sharps (cont.)

When your sharps container is full, contact UAF EHSRM Hazmat to schedule a pickup (474-5617 or 474-7889).

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Purchase of sharps containers is the responsibility of the laboratory.

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Procedures to follow in the event of a sharps injury

  • If you are injured by a sharp, no matter how minor the injury, you must immediately report it to your supervisor.
  • Complete an online Origami report for all injuries, regardless of severity.
  • Notify the UAF Biosafety Officer or Industrial Hygienist immediately in order to determine what, if any, medical surveillance or care may be necessary.
    • 474-6771

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Questions? �Contact the UAF Industrial Hygienist at 474-6771��Thank you!

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