CLINICAL LAB SCIENEC

CHAPTER 5: LABORATORY SAFETY 97
FIGURE 5-12 (A) Rigid container designed for disposal of contaminated sharps. (B) Wall-hung
sharps collector.
Source: Delmar/Cengage Learning.
broken glass, and other sharp items should be placed in the appropriate container,
which should be strategically located in the work area on a work counter and in
any sterilization area. The sharps in the container (Figure 5-12) are collected and
accumulated in larger waste containers in designated storage areas before being
periodically collected by a professional medical waste disposal company. Do not
bend or try to break needles before disposal because it is easy to sustain an injury
by this act. If a decision is made to recap a needle until it is needed again, use a
method called a one-handed scoop technique or the metal needle capping device
found in the clinic.
Disposal of Biological and Contaminated Waste Materials
Solid wastes that are contaminated with blood or other body fluids should be
placed in a red bag with a red biohazard symbol on it. These bags are strong and
impervious to fluid leakage from the contained items. The bag is sealed with a
twist tie and placed into a box with a hazardous medical waste sign. Some body
wastes such as feces and urine are not considered as potentially infectious materials,
but if they contain visible blood, they should be treated as potentially dangerous.
Soaked items such as chemical wipes, gauze sponges, and paper towels that
blood or other fluids can be squeezed out of or with blood that may flake from
the item are considered regulated medical waste. Disposable items that may contain
the body fluids of patients but are not subject to medical waste regulations
(not soaked with blood or tissue), such as gloves, paper towels, and absorbent
paper for use on laboratory counters, should be place in a lined trash receptacle.
Red bags should not be used for nonregulated waste. Some containers for biohazardous
wastes have a foot-operated lever for opening the lid, protecting the
person discarding the wastes by avoiding unnecessary handling (Figure 5-13).
To place unregulated wastes, such as gloves that have no blood on them, into a
red biohazard bag would involve a great deal of wasteful expense by causing the
facility to pay for the disposal of nonbiohazardous wastes.
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