While healthcare professionals know the key practices for managing medical waste since they handle it all of the time, you might not. This isn’t an issue most of the time, but it can quickly become one when you get injured and need to treat yourself at least partially at home.
Whether you’re treating yourself for a small cut that doesn’t need medical attention or are simply applying the first aid required to make the trip to the hospital, you need to know how to dispose of each item you use correctly or you may get someone else sick or hurt.
You’ll find a few ways to do this below, but don’t be afraid to do more research on your own to make sure everyone around you is as safe and knowledgeable as possible.
Of all of the possible medical waste you could accrue in your home, bandages are possibly the most common one you’ll have to deal with. You may use them to cover the small scrape you got so it doesn’t get covered in threads while you sleep, protect a cut and stop it from bleeding, or even cover an injury like a dog bite with a bandage that’s been covered in antibiotic medicine.
While they may be common, you may not necessarily know the best way to dispose of them. When it’s time to toss old bandages, start by putting on gloves and then placing the bandages inside a sealable container like a plastic bag. This will trap any contaminants inside and prevent them from causing harm to you or anyone else who may have to touch the trash later. While all bandages need to be handled like this, those that are especially messy should be given priority if your plastic bags are limited in number.
Once the plastic bag is filled with the dressings, it can then be safely tossed into the nearest trash can. Do not place bandages into the recycling bin. Bandage packaging like plastic bags or small strips of paper can be tossed in the trash with no extra effort if they are clean. They should be placed into the same plastic bag as the bandages if they are contaminated in some way.
While the term “sharp” is common in medical facilities like hospitals, it may be new to you. Luckily, it’s pretty simple to understand. A medical sharp is an object whose main purpose is to cut open or otherwise penetrate the skin. This includes needles, razors, lancets, and more.
There is another term, “pokie,” which refers to items that can also cause cuts and scrapes but aren’t intended for that purpose. These items need to be handled with care when being disposed of so they don’t cut open other bags that must remain sealed, but they don’t need as much attention as sharps. Simply placing “pokies” into two plastic bags or maybe even a small box, jar or other similar container will suffice.
Sharp disposal requires more care and thought than “pokie” disposal, though. They require a specific container that is clearly labeled, sturdy, and has a lid. Medical facilities likely have boxes designed for this, but at home you can simply use an empty sturdy container.
Coffee containers, dishwasher detergent bottles and more can all be used if you have them available. Just make sure to label whatever you choose to use in an obvious way and keep it away from the vulnerable, like animals and children.
You need to be very careful when selecting your sharps container. It needs to be difficult to break, which immediately rules out flexible containers and glass. The best thing to use is a sturdy plastic container that has a lid.
Once you’ve chosen a container, clearly label it a sharps container and store it far from wherever that type of container is normally stored. For example, if you used a laundry detergent bottle, don’t keep it in the laundry room. Keep it far from pets and children as well.
Retrieve it when you know you’ll be dealing with sharps; they need to be tossed immediately after use. Place all sharps point-first into the container and seal it tightly once done. Once the container is halfway full, do some research to see how you should dispose of it. Pay attention to local sources because every location uses different disposal methods.
Never reuse a sharps container or you could contaminate things and make people sick. Also, never overfill the container or someone may get poked with a contaminated sharp object, causing many new issues.
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