Is this a safety hazard?

[Hilinenursegrl]

This issue was brought up last night here with another nurse and I thought I would throw it out there to get some different opinions. I have always put needles, and broken ampules in the sharps container but when it comes to the small glass bottles with the rubber thing to draw out of in the middle, like for toradol and such I sometimes put them in the sharps and sometimes just put them in the trash. My rationale is that the bottle is not broken and although made of glass, not really a "sharp." The nurse I was working with, a new nurse, told me I should always be putting them in the sharps container. Am I wrong to be putting them in the garbage can?

[Kyrshamarks, BSN, RN]

If it is not broken then the vial is supposed to go in the trash, not the sharps. OSHA can actually fine the hospital for every non sharp item found in a sharps container and that fine can be up to $25,000 PER ITEM. I have never heard of them fining but hey...Obama is gonna need to raise some money somehow..Plus the cost of disposing the sharps items is out of this world.

[RheatherN, ASN, RN, EMT-P]

policy has to be in sharps. it is glass and could be easily broken in transit with housekeepers. or if someone decides they need to rummage in the trash for something- not a good idea. or they could take it out and do something with it.

-H-RN

[Hilinenursegrl]

Wow I guess posting this question has left me more confused now! LOL, seriously though I guess I will just have to look up the policy or ask the safety manager. Thanks for all the responses,

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

We only use the sharps container for needles and blood-contaminated products. Disposing of biohazardous waste is extremely expensive. I do, however, separate glass from other trash so housekeeping doesn't get hurt.