Help! OSHA requirements!

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So I will be helping to teach blood typing in a high school science class soon. There will be blood on lancets and tissues and the cards for blood typing. What is your understanding of when red biohazard bags are needed? When are they not needed in the school setting? We never used them in my previous small school for small amounts of blood on a tissue or alcohol pad. I've been searching the web and the regulations don't seem so clear to me...

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

I'm not sure that OSHA is applicable but I'd dispose of the lancets in a sharps container and dump the rest in the trash.

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Thanks, OldDude....

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I agree with old dude. Needles in sharps.

tissues and cards I trash unless OSHA or health department is there watching you then maybe I'd ask the head nurse if and where they keep their biohazard bags at or let her lead you what to do.

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.
I agree with old dude. Needles in sharps.

tissues and cards I trash unless OSHA or health department is there watching you then maybe I'd ask the head nurse if and where they keep their biohazard bags at or let her lead you what to do.

^Good answer^

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Specializes in School Nursing.

My interpretation of biohazard bag use is for things that are saturated.

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Sanitary napkins are thrown in the trash and they have more blood than you'll deal with. I agree with sharps container and trash.

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Specializes in School health, pediatrics.

The guidance that I always received for biohazard vs regular trash is is something is saturated with blood it goes in a red bag. Of course sharps go in sharps etc. but this was the rule for blood.

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Specializes in kids.

I once ordered biohazard red bags for my office...what a disaster! Sent the Facilities supervisor into a tizzy because his guys didn't want to be exposed to real biohazards. My point had been to just make them more aware of the crud they might encounter. So now I just put them in the athletic bags as a reminder to toss any bandages/bloody items in them (and not bag into he bottom of the med kit)...

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Specializes in School nursing.
I once ordered biohazard red bags for my office...what a disaster! Sent the Facilities supervisor into a tizzy because his guys didn't want to be exposed to real biohazards. My point had been to just make them more aware of the crud they might encounter. So now I just put them in the athletic bags as a reminder to toss any bandages/bloody items in them (and not bag into he bottom of the med kit)...

Same. Sometimes if something is also vomit soaked I will throw it into a bio-hazard not because I need to but they are leak proof and seal well :).

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Infection Control/Geriatrics.
I'm not sure that OSHA is applicable but I'd dispose of the lancets in a sharps container and dump the rest in the trash.

Yep! Red bags are usually reserved for bloody saturated things, or other body fluids. But if you have a small sharps container, when it gets 2/3 full, tape it closed, and red bag it for contaminated waste pick up.

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Dunno anything about school setting but that wouldn't even qualify as "red bag" material in a hospital. Unless you can squeeze saturated blood out of something, it can go in regular trash.

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