How do you dispose of retractable lancets?

[kay]

I'm curious to know how you dispose of retractable lancets in your facility?

I have always assumed that even though they are a "safe" sharp item, after having been used and contaminated with blood they should be disposed of in the sharps container along with any other kind of needle or sharp.

Recently I have seen some of the agency nurses who work occassionally with us throwing them in the garbage cans in patients rooms; when I questioned this practice, I was told that this is what they do in other facilities that they work in. One nurse said that this was sanctioned by the infection control nurse in one of our big city hospitals.....

I have searched on the internet but found no recommendations on how to dispose of these retractable lancets. Tomorrow I will try to call the public health department for their recommendations.

....nothing in this life is foolproof :uhoh21: and although I really like the lancet we use for it's safety features I wonder how often the retractable spring/coil might fail ...so, personally I will continue to dispose of them in a sharps container

[Nurse Ratched, RN]

I would say that the manufacturer's instructions on say, a Vanish-Point syringe, would specify proper disposal technique. All I can tell you is that our facility policy is all sharps, retractable or not, go into the sharps container for proper disposal. Can't be guaranteed the little plastic housing on retractable lancets or syringes would withstand breakage and not injure someone handling it down the line.

[Nurse Ratched, RN]

I would say that the manufacturer's instructions on say, a Vanish-Point syringe, would specify proper disposal technique. All I can tell you is that our facility policy is all sharps, retractable or not, go into the sharps container for proper disposal. Can't be guaranteed the little plastic housing on retractable lancets or syringes would withstand breakage and not injure someone handling it down the line.

[MRhodes]

Check your state sanitary code. It will probally say that retractable sharps go in the sharps container and I believe that OSHA says so too. That will give you some "teeth" to tell the agency nurses it's your policy. You should also check and see what handbook the nurses are getting when they sign in and make sure it has some infection control measures in it. You could put that retractable sharps go in the sharps container in there, then if they do put them in the trash, you've got them for not following policies.

Melba Rhodes

[email protected]

[MRhodes]

Check your state sanitary code. It will probally say that retractable sharps go in the sharps container and I believe that OSHA says so too. That will give you some "teeth" to tell the agency nurses it's your policy. You should also check and see what handbook the nurses are getting when they sign in and make sure it has some infection control measures in it. You could put that retractable sharps go in the sharps container in there, then if they do put them in the trash, you've got them for not following policies.

Melba Rhodes

[email protected]

[chris_at_lucas_RN, RN]

There are no safe sharps.

These are contaminated with human blood.

Into the sharps container they go.

[chris_at_lucas_RN, RN]

There are no safe sharps.

These are contaminated with human blood.

Into the sharps container they go.

[RN4NICU, LPN, LVN]

This is part of our OSHA compliance training.

Sharps box - every time

The little plastic casings can and do break open, plus nothing blood-contaminated should go in regular trash.

[RN4NICU, LPN, LVN]

This is part of our OSHA compliance training.

Sharps box - every time

The little plastic casings can and do break open, plus nothing blood-contaminated should go in regular trash.

[NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN]

Sharps, for sure!

[NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN]

Sharps, for sure!