DISPOSAL OF SHARPS
The following applies to all departments except the Medical Department and Clinical Research Center.
These rules were issued by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Sharps
Sharps are anything that can easily puncture the epidermis. Under no
circumstances should any sharp object (whole or broken glass, metal,
razor blades, hypodermic syringe/needle units, scalpel blades) be
placed in regular waste receptacles (those containing paper waste).
In order to prevent injury to M.I.T. contractor personnel who must
handle sharps, the following procedures are to be followed:
Glass
Glass, after decontamination (if appropriate), should be placed in
cardboard containers. When ready for disposal, these containers
should be sealed and marked "GLASS". This will alert the custodian to
the possible hazards involved (containers must have a label).
Other Sharps
- All needle/syringe assemblies are to be disposed of intact. This
means that needles are not recapped, bent, or broken. The use of
needle chopping devices (guillotines) is not recommended due to the
release of aerosols which can contaminate both personnel and surfaces.
These practices and devices require increased needle handling which
increases the risk of needle-stick injury.
- All sharps, regardless of their use, are to be disposed of in a
commercially available sharps collector. The safe disposal of sharps
depends upon a container that:
- provides an opening or diaphragm that prevents the contents
from spilling.
- is impervious to punctures.
- is autoclavable for waste that is biologically
contaminated.
- is safely disposable in incinerators.
Commercially available sharps collectors provide all these features.
Metal paint cans do not because they cannot be incinerated.
- If the items to be discarded are biologically contaminated waste,
they must be autoclaved prior to disposal. When the container is
full, it is to be autoclaved for ninety (90) minutes at 121 C with the
flanged lid in place. Commercially available sharps collectors come
with sterile indicator tape on the container bottom.
- After each container has been decontaminated/sterilized, use hand
protectors to remove it from the autoclave and allow it to cool.
- Remove any labels from the outside of the container.
- Re-label the autoclaved container with a "Sharp Waste" label.
Properly autoclaved and labeled containers may be placed along side
regular trash for disposal.
- Snap the solid cover snugly over the flanged opening.