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Sharps Safety

Sharps are considered to be any object that can cut or puncture the skin

Lab Hazardous Waste Lab Emergency Preparation Research Safety Team

Overview KAUST Biosafety Manual Biological Registration Sharps Safety Signs & Labels

Overview

Depending on the use, sharps can be contaminated with biological or chemical agents which has the potential to cause harm if it punctures the skin. Safety precautions are necessary to prevent injury and exposure.

Sharps are considered to be any object that can cut or puncture the skin. This includes:

Needles
Scalpel blades
Razor Blades
Broken Glassware

guide for Safe Use of Sharps

Before using sharps in your procedures, consult with a colleague, principal investigator, or the Research Safety Team to determine if the use of sharps are needed. If sharps must be used, then consider using these safety engineered sharps:

Scalpel with retractable blade

Hypodermic needles with shield

Blunt Tip needles

Syringe with Sliding sheath

Practice and Sharps Disposal

Although these devices are built with safety in mind, the protection is meaningless if laboratory personnel are not aware of the safety mechanism so make sure to practice with the device before using it in experimental procedures.
ALL sharps, regardless of the type of sharps used, must be immediately placed in a sharps container after use. The sharps containers should be leak proof, puncture resistant, and autoclavable.

Sharps Considerations

General

If there are no alternatives and sharps are needed, then consider using safety engineered sharps.
Never dispose of sharps in the regular trash.
Sharps must be placed in a sharps container.
Keep sharps containers close to areas where sharps are being used.
Do not handle broken glass with your hands. Use a broom and dustpan or tongs/forceps.
Do not use the sharps container for general waste.

Needles

Avoid recapping needles whenever possible. If recapping is absolutely needed then use the “Scoop Method.”
Never leave an uncapped needle on the bench. Needles must be disposed directly after use.
Uncap needles only when they are about to be used.
Consider using Luer-Lok syringes to reduce the chance of the needle falling off mid-use.
Keep the needle pointed away from you.
Depending on the procedure, blunt needles may be a suitable alternative.

Scalpels/Razors

Use disposable scalpels with a fixed blade when possible.
Do not use blades without a handle. The handle is a barrier between you and the blade.
If you need to use a reusable blade then consider using blades with safety features that allow enclosure of the blade before removal.
Always cut away from yourself.
Use forceps or another tool to keep specimen in place while you cut.
Do not “saw” or put excessive force on the blade. This could cause it to snap creating aerosols and flying debris.