Sharps management in Maryland is serious business. From used needles to broken glass, your medical waste must be taken seriously and understanding the how and why of sharps containers is just that first step.

What Are Sharps?

Sharps are often thought of as needles used in medical practices, and most sharps are used in medical facilities. While that's not wrong, the term “sharps” more broadly refers to any object or device with sharp points or edges that could potentially puncture the skin. In the medical setting, this includes needles, scalpels, syringes, and things that could break like capillary tubes, glass, and exposed ends of dental wires. A good rule of thumb is to consider if it could break through a typical trash bag. If it can, it's most likely considered a sharp.

Sharps Containers

Sharps containers must be puncture-proof, leak-proof, closed, and clearly labeled. This helps limit the potential exposure to bloodborne pathogens like HBV, HCV, and HIV, among many others that may spread as a result of improper contact with contaminated sharps. There are some instances where homemade containers can take the place of industry standard sharps containers, but it is always best to work with a trusted waste management company to ensure your sharps are properly handled in every stage of disposal, including container collection.

How To Dispose of Sharps

Just like every state, proper sharps management in Maryland is not only good practice but also regulated to high standards to help maintain the safety of all. The safest and best way to dispose of sharps is to place them into appropriate sharps containers immediately after use. This helps reduce the risk of injury and can eliminate the spread of bloodborne pathogens. As we've mentioned before, disposal should be done in puncture-proof, leak-proof, closed, and clearly labeled containers. These are available from most medical and hazardous waste companies. Working with a hazardous waste management company to address your needs can reduce the number of unknowns in sharps disposal as they can address your specific needs on an ongoing basis. It's also essential to ensure that staff are properly trained in handling and disposing of sharps. Putting in place the measures for proper sharps disposal is only one piece of the puzzle. It's also important to work with a dependable waste management company; your waste is your responsibility even once a company has removed it from your facilities, making their dependability ever so important.

BWS Is the Sharpest Sharp Disposal Company

With a flawless compliance record, excellent service, and a history of happy customers, BWS has the experience to be sharp when it comes to your sharps. BWS is ready to be on your side for sharps management in Maryland. At BWS, we can't stress enough how important it is to be confident in your sharps disposal and hazardous waste management company and we're ready to show you what a dependable company looks like.

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