Ways to Stay Safe While Working With Sharps in San Francisco

by | Jan 11, 2022 | Health

While working with sharps in a medical setting, it’s important to take the proper safety precautions to protect yourself as well as your patients. Here are a few things to keep in mind whether you’re in a hospital, doctor’s office, or another environment.

Disposal

A component of sharps safety is making sure each item is disposed of properly so that no one can be injured. There’s usually a red container in the room where sharps are used where the instruments will go as soon as they are used. A lid on the container typically prevents sharps that are inside from being accessible. Each container should be labeled with a biohazard sticker and should be disposed of as biological waste.

Injuries

There are several ways to maintain sharps safety to decrease injuries in the workplace. Needles shouldn’t be bent or broken and should not be recapped to prevent them from being used again. Try to use forceps to remove needles that could be stuck to decrease the risk of the needle puncturing the skin. Only use needles that have not been used.

Use of Sharps

When using sharps with patients, you want to wear at least one pair of gloves, two pairs if you feel or know that the person could have a communicable disease. You also want to make sure the sharp is guided at all times to prevent the needle from sticking areas aside from the designated location. A mask and gown should be worn as well when using sharps as fluid could be involved.

Learn more about staying safe while working with sharps by contacting Sharp Fluidics.

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