Sharp Wastes are those medical (or biomedical wastes) that can cut through your skin. These include needles, syringes (with needles), scalpels, razors, broken glass, or any other sharp object that may be harmful if entered into the human body because they are biohazardous. Hence why sharp waste disposal is vital.
Simple sterilizing or disinfecting the sharp objects is not enough. They need to be shredded, so they cannot be used again. Sharps are the most dangerous industrial waste in the whole industry. Using a dirty injection can cause various problems as it carries numerous kinds of pathogens with it.
The problem is, hundreds of people get injected with something every day. And there is no guarantee about the syringes, whether they are safe to use or not. That is why special equipment is in the works, so the dirty ones are shredded.
There is a two-step process for sharps waste disposal;
- After using the sharp object, place the object in the disposal container immediately. Hospitals and health departments have these special containers used to dispose of the piercing tool.
- The second step is to get rid of the container. You could call your trash collecting company, and they can get rid of it for you. But never leave it alone with other trash if it is hazardous because it is harmful. Non-Hazardous are fine if left out, but you should remove them immediately.
If the patient is getting treatment in his house, you should remove the needles and other sharp objects. Public trash collecting companies do this service, but it’s advisable to call special sharps waste disposal companies.
Although incinerators are available, companies have come up with their equipment for shredding the sharps. Incinerators use pressure and high temperatures to sterilize the sharps, but it’s not that effective because some bacteria survive high temperatures. That is why it is important to shred them to pieces, so even if any bacteria is present on them, it cannot get inside the human body.
Some countries have organizations that obtain illegal, second-hand syringes because they are cheap. And this causes many viral diseases like HIV, Hepatitis, etc. This is why these organizations need to stop. They are putting the lives of humankind at risk.
Syringes, injections are sensitive objects, and you should use them very carefully. And once used, you need to get rid of them. FDA, the American organization, has implemented some ground rules on how to proceed with the disposal process, and one should take a look at these steps before using any sharp object.
Leave a Reply