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Topic

Safety Considerations

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Needles

• Substitute with blunt needles when possible
• Utilize locking syringe units & safety engineered sharps (e.g., pivoting-shield needle)
• Do NOT recap unless necessary; NEVER recap with two hands
• Do NOT remove a syringe from a needle. Immediately dispose of used syringes and needles together in appropriate (rigid) sharps containers placed nearby
• Close sharps containers when they are two-thirds full. Use non-opaque sharps containers
• Chemicals can readily cause needles to clog. Clean reusable needles with a compatible solvent immediately after use.
• Air free techniques: when withdrawing liquid using nitrogen/argon backfill, use an appropriate needle length and remove air bubbles from the syringe without moving the container

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Glass Pasteur Pipettes

• Use a plastic pipette when possible but consider hazardous material interaction with plastic
• Contaminated → sharps container / uncontaminated → cardboard box lined with a bag

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Broken Glassware

• Glassware can become very slippery during washing
• Contaminated → sharps container / uncontaminated → cardboard box lined with a bag

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Razors & Other

blades

• Do not use blades without a handle; the handle serves as a barrier
• Always cut away from yourself; use forceps or a tool to hold the specimen
• Dispose of contaminated razor blades into appropriate sharps container
• Store razor blades with the blade covered or protected

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Ampoules

• Use an ampoule opener

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Box openers

• Use proper tools to open boxes such as a self-retracting knife instead of scissors
• Always cut away from yourself
• Consider using a ceramic knife like this

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Topic

Safety Considerations

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Types of Sharps

• Needles
• Glass Pasteur Pipettes
• Glassware
• Razor blades
• Ampoules
• Cutters/Box openers

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Selection

• When necessary, sharps may be used - however, consider an alternative when possible
• Substitute plastic for glass ESPECIALLY with hazardous materials
• Check compatibility with syringe material, needle joints, plunger, etc.

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Handling

• Glassware can become very slippery during washing
• Utilize locking syringe units, safety engineered sharps, or needless systems
• Do not recap unless absolutely necessary and never recap with two hands
• Avoid two-handed motions with needles and do not remove needle from syringe before disposal
• Chemicals can readily cause needles to clog
• Consider hand, thumb, and neck position and angles to avoid discomfort

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Best Practices

• Do not use blades without a handle; the handle serves as a barrier
• Always cut away from yourself
• Dispose of contaminated razor blades into appropriate sharps container
• Do not store loose razor blades on benchtops
• Use an ampoule opener
• Use proper tools to open boxes such as a self-retracting knife instead of scissors

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Disposal

• Immediately place used/broken sharps in a hardwall sharps disposal container lined with a bag
• Use a sharps container for bio-contaminated sharps and close when ⅔ full
• Use a sharps container labeled “Unregulated Sharps” for other sharps
• Broken glass: contaminated → sharps container / uncontaminated → cardboard box