Sharps Safety

Sharps injuries are among the most commonly reported injuries in UW research and clinical settings. Sharps are devices, such as needles, scalpels, and lancets, which are used to cut or pierce skin, blood vessels or tissue.

Individuals working with sharps should take necessary precautions to prevent injury and exposure to biological, chemical and other potentially hazardous agents. We recommend that researchers prepare to work with sharps by doing the following:

Eliminate sharps from procedures or substitute for safer sharps devices as appropriate.
Develop written procedures to handle sharps safely.
Train all staff working with sharps.
Dispose of sharps properly.
Prepare for exposure and spill response.

EH&S is committed to assisting faculty and staff by providing resources to reduce the risk of accidents and injuries before, during and after procedures involving sharps. The following resources will help you and your staff avoid needlesticks and sharps injuries.

Vanishpoint needle syringe — *3 mLVanishPoint Retractable syringe*

Before the procedure

Eliminate or substitute sharps

The best way to avoid needlestick and other sharps injuries is to avoid using a sharps device when it is not necessary, or use tools to minimize the hazard, such as a safety-engineered device or a needle-syringe holder.

Identify all sharps devices in your procedures, then do the following:

Think of ways to perform the task without a sharps device. Examples:

Eliminate glass by choosing plastic when possible.
Use a blunt needle instead of a sharp needle.

Additional suggestions for eliminating sharps are provided below.

Select a safer device that will accomplish the same result while also lowering your risk of injury. Examples:

Use sharp tissue scissors to cut tissue rather than a razor blade for more control.
Use a plastic gel cutter instead of a razor blade to cut electrophoresis gels.

Additional suggestions for substituting sharps are provided below.

EH&S can recommend safer sharps devices that align with your procedures and desired result.

It is estimated that 62-88% of injuries can be avoided through the use of safer devices.

BD Vacutainer blood collection device — *BD Vacutainer blood collection safety-engineered device*

EH&S recommends the following safer practices for applicable procedures:

Alternatives to needles

For procedures such as cleaning wells of acrylamide gels, pipetting, transferring reagents or filling certain cassettes, using something other than a needle may be possible. Fine tip micropipette tips or transfer pipets may achieve the same results. Here are some examples of fine tip pipet options:

Blunt needles

For injecting samples to analyze, transferring reagents, and similar procedures, using a blunt end needle is a safe alternative to a hypodermic type needle. A variety of blunt end needles are available in many different sizes. Here are some examples:

Sharps holder devices

Sometimes a needle is essential to the procedure. In this case, use a sharps holder device for reusable needles. If you use needles to inject into analyzers, consider storing them in a sharps holder device. Here are some examples:

Alternatives to glass pipettes

Although glass Pasteur pipettes are commonly used for cell culture and other precision pipetting activities, there are safer plastic alternatives available. Here are some examples:

Alternatives to razor blades and scalpels

Instead of using a razor blade to cut electrophoresis gels or excise bands from gels, try a plastic cutter or excision tip. Plastic gel cutters or plastic safety razors can also be used to chop or mince soft tissues. Here are some examples:

EH&S recommends substituting for the following safety engineered devices:

Animal	Activity	Type of sharp	Safety device options
DOG	blood draw	needle with syringe EasyPoint needle	3mL VanishPoint Syringe 20-25G x 1" or 5/8" 1mL VanishPoint Tuberculin Syringe 25G x 5/8” EasyPoint needle 23G x 1” (25mm) EasyPoint needle 25G x 1” (25mm) EasyPoint needle 25G x 5/8” (16mm)
MOUSE	subcutaneous injection	USO insulin syringe 1mL VanishPoint Tuberculin syringe	1mL VanishPoint Tuberculin Syringe 27G x 1/2” 1mL VanishPoint U-100 Insulin Syringe 29G x 1/2”
NHP	sedation with ketamine blood collection	needle with syringe needle with vacutainer	3mL VanishPoint syringes (typically 23g) BD Vacutainer Eclipse
RABBIT	venous blood draw or IV injection	butterfly needle VanishPoint blood collection set VanishPoint blood collection tube holder	VanishPoint Blood Collection Set (Retractable) 23G x ¾” (Available with or without luer adapter and in 7'' or 12'' tubing)
RAT	subcutaneous injection	needle with syringe 1mL VanishPoint Tuberculin syringe	1mL VanishPoint Tuberculin Syringe 27G x 1/2” 1mL VanishPoint U-100 Insulin Syringe 29G x 1/2”
SHEEP	blood draw	needle w/ syringe	3mL VanishPoint Syringe 20G x 1” 3mL VanishPoint Syringe 20G x 1½”
SWINE	IM injection	needle w/ injection cap, butterfly catheter, tubing, and syringe VanishPoint blood collection set VanishPoint blood collection tube holder	VanishPoint Blood Collection Set (Retractable) 21G x ¾” (19mm) 7” VanishPoint Blood Collection Set 23G x ¾” (19mm) 7” 3mL VanishPoint Syringe 20G x 1” 3mL VanishPoint Syringe 21G x 1” 3mL VanishPoint Syringe 22G x 1” (Blood Collection Sets available in 12" tubing)
SWINE	venous or arterial blood draw	IV catheter needle	Radiopaque PUR 22G 1” (Available in FEP or PUR)

Prepare written procedures

Prior to beginning a new procedure, develop a standard operating procedure (SOP) that describes:

Steps to perform the procedure safely
Tools and instruments that are needed to perform the procedure safely
Personal protective equipment
Steps for responding to an accident, exposure or injury

NOTE: If working with human blood or other potentially infectious materials, you are also required to have a Site-Specific Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan.

Safe sharps procedures can be incorporated into your exposure control plan.

EH&S can assist with development and review of written procedures.

Training and practice

Consult with your supervisor to determine the required and recommended training you must complete prior to beginning work.

Training may include:

During the procedure

During all procedures involving sharps, awareness of your surroundings and careful action is required to avoid accidents and injuries. Best practice is to announce that sharps are in use when others are present. Always wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and follow all written procedures.

In addition, keep in mind the following safety tips:

Safe handling of needles

needle recapper — *Delasco Recapper and Syringe Holder*

Avoid recapping needles. Use a needle holder or recapper, if necessary.
Dispose of uncapped needles immediately after use. Never leave an uncapped needle laying on a workbench.
Use a tool to remove a needle from a syringe, if removal is necessary.
Point the needle away from yourself.
Keep visual contact with the needle at all times while uncapped.

Safe handling of blades and scalpels

safe storage of razor blades — *Razor blades stored on magnetic strip*

Use disposable safety scalpels with a fixed blade and a retractable sheath when possible.
Don’t use excessive force or a sawing motion when using a scalpel.
Don’t use your fingers to hold a razor blade. Use blade with a handle, or use pliers to place the razor blade in a holder.
Don’t cut or trim an object you are holding with your other hand. Use forceps or another tool to hold an object while cutting.
Sharp tissue scissors provide more control than a razor blade for cutting tissue.
Purchase safety cutters to open boxes.
Don’t use a razor blade to cut smaller strips of tape from a larger roll. Order the appropriate sized tape.
Don’t get distracted and rush though the task.
Place reusable sharps in a reusable sharps container immediately after use.

Video: How to safely attach a scalpel blade to a handle

After the procedure

Keep a sharps container near your work station and immediately dispose of sharps after the procedure.

Needles should never be laid uncapped on a workbench.
Sharps that retract after use should be disposed of like all other sharps.

sharps container 2/3 full — *Image source: Outagamie and Winnebago counties*

Never fill a sharps container more than two-thirds full.

examples of properly filled and overfilled sharps container — *Image source: Princeton University*

Overfilling a sharps container presents hazards to those using it, and to those collecting the containers for disposal.

Refer to the Sharps and Lab Glass Waste page for information on treating and disposing of sharps waste containers.

Exposure and spill response

Be prepared for a sharps injury or exposure by placing the Exposure Response Poster in a visible location.

Call 9-1-1 for a life-threatening injury or emergency.
Follow the instructions on the Exposure Response Poster.
Report the incident to EH&S and your supervisor within 24 hours (as soon as possible if a serious or fatal accident occurs).
When filling out the OARS report, note the type of sharp involved, as well as any substances, chemicals, or agents you may have been exposed to.

Refer to the Spill Response poster for spill response and cleanup information.

For spills involving biohazards, refer to the Biohazardous Spills information sheet.

Services available

EH&S is available for consultation on procedures that involve needles and other sharps devices, including;

Developing written procedures
Recommending safer sharps devices
Providing training and demonstrations
Identifying and referring subject matter experts to consult on specific procedures

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

No, UW Surplus does not accept needles or sharps. Refer to the UW Surplus Preparing Items for Surplus webpage for a list of prohibited items.

Unopened needles, sharps or other items with needles attached still need to be disposed of in a red hard-sided sharps container with a biohazard symbol. Although unused, the needles still present a hazard to those handling waste. UW Surplus will not accept sharps.

On occasion, members of the UW community may come across needles that people have left behind or were improperly disposed.

DO NOT HANDLE the needle. If you are able to do so, leave a warning sign to help bring it to the attention of others who may pass by.
Call EH&S at 206-221-7770. EH&S will provide guidance and coordinate with trained personnel who can safely collect and dispose of needles.

If your building does not have a personal sharps container, keep them in a sharps container or other rigid container, and then take all of your personal sharps home for disposal.

Follow the guidance for personal sharps disposal for per your county of residence: King County, Pierce County, or Snohomish County.

EH&S does not collect or treat sharps or other biohazardous waste. EH&S provides consultation and training for on-site or off-site treatment of sharps waste prior to disposal. Refer to the information on the Biohazardous Waste page for decontamination of biohazardous waste. Check with your department to see if a sharps disposal waste stream already exists.