After you use a syringe or a lancet, put it directly into a strong plastic or metal container with a tight cap or lid. When the container is full and tightly sealed with heavy-duty tape, throw it out in the trash. Don't put this container in your recycling bin.
Using your sharps bin
You can use your sharps bin to dispose of medical supplies such as: needles. syringes. lancets used with finger-pricking devices.
Generally, sharps must be placed into a rigid, puncture resistant, sealed, leak-proof container before they can be taken to a disposal site. Loose needles, or needles placed in glass containers or bags will not be accepted at disposal sites.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, syringes (needles) and lancets are medical wastes called “sharps.” Sharps can be dangerous to those handling garbage, if the sharps are thrown in the regular trash.”Sharps boxes” are recommended for home use.
Some people with diabetes use their insulin syringes and lancets more than once to save money. But makers of syringes and lancets do not recommend using them more than once.
Each time they puncture the skin, they cause microscopic burrs and dents in the needle. Each burr and dent makes the lancets hurt more and require more force to puncture the skin to draw blood. This is what happens to the needle over time when you reuse the same lancet.
Place only sharps (as defined in OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens standard, for example, contaminated syringes, needles, lancets, scalpels, infusion needle sets, connection needles, auto-injectors) in sharps disposal containers.
You need to dispose (get rid) of your used needles, syringes and lancets (called 'sharps') in a sharps bin as they can injure people and carry infections. Small bins are pre-assembled.
DO immediately place used needles and other sharps in a sharps disposal container to reduce the risk of needle sticks, cuts or punctures from loose sharps. DO use an FDA-cleared sharps disposal container, if possible.
Needles present a high risk to people when not disposed of correctly. Needle stick injuries may result in the infection of persons with biological or other agents. The Act provides for strict disposal procedures for sharps and needles.
Your sharps waste will be collected by our dedicated hazardous waste fleet and transported to a specialised waste facility, where we sterilise or dispose waste according to legislative requirements.
Cytotoxic waste includes any items that have been contaminated with cytotoxic material. Typically this waste includes drug administration equipment (e.g. swabs, IV drip sets) as well as personal protective equipment such as gowns and gloves.
They must be disposed of in a sharps container approved under Australian Safety Standards. Sharps containers must be puncture proof and have a secure lid. These containers are usually yellow, come in a range of sizes and are available at Diabetes SA, as well as most pharmacies and some GP clinics or council offices.
Sharps Disposal Containers are for Needles and Sharps Only
Place non-sharp, contaminated material, such as gauze contaminated with blood or other potentially infectious material, in a red biohazard waste disposal bag.
The container should be placed in a visible location, within easy horizontal reach, and below eye level. The container should also be placed away from any obstructed areas, such as near doors, under sinks, near light switches, etc. Visibility: Containers should be clearly visible to the health care worker.
Sharps bins must be disposed of when the container is around ¾ full. This reduces the risk of injury or cross-contamination whenever the waste is collected and helps ensure that you comply with all of the appropriate waste collection regulations. You should not keep sharp waste at your facility for longer than a month.
Sharps waste is a subset of infectious waste and comprises syringes, needles, lancets, broken glass and any other materials that can pierce the skin.
Commercial biohazardous sharps containers are used to collect devices or objects with corners, edges, or projections capable of cutting or piercing skin or regular waste bags, which have come into contact with biological or recombinant genetic materials.
A. Finger-stick blood samplers (lancet devices) are used to obtain blood for testing blood sugar (glucose). These devices consist of two parts: a “lancet holder” that looks like a small pen; and a lancet, which is the sharp point or needle that is placed in the holder. The lancets are only ever used once.
Wipe away the first droplet of blood with a cotton ball or gauze as indicated. Rationale: The first drop of blood may be contaminated with the alcohol used for disinfection, which may provide an inaccurate result.