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DAMERON HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION 525 WEST ACACIA STREET STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA 95203 Q Q Infection Control Committee Policy/Procedure Sharps Handling and Disposal I. Policy Sharps will be handled and disposed of in a manner as to prevent injury to the health care worker. II. Procedure A. Handling of Sharps 1. Employees shall use the safest needle device available. A recessed needle or needleless type system will be used when possible; when not feasible, syringes with self -sheathing needles will be used. 2. Contaminated needles shall not be recapped, bent, broken, clipped or otherwise manipulated unless the procedure absolutely requires it, in which case a mechanical device (such as a clamp) or one -handed technique shall be used. 3. Reusable sharps shall be handled in the safest manner possible. When feasible, they should be handled with a mechanical device such as a clamp. The sharp end of an instrument shall never be manipulated with the hands; only the handled end is to be touched. These precautions are taken before and after sterilization. 4. Broken glassware shall be picked up using mechanical means such as a brush and dust pan or tongs. B. Disposal of Sharps 1. Disposable sharps will be placed directly into the nearest sharps container immediately after use. Sharps containers are predominantly the Sharpsgard type; the "red jugs" are in use in some areas. Each type of container is labeled with the biohazard symbol and is leak- proof and puncture resistant. a. Contaminated needles and syringes should be placed intact into the container. b. Other disposable sharp instruments (scalpel blades, etc.) will also be placed directly into the nearest sharps container. C. When sharps need to be transported for proper disposal (i.e. they are too long to be disposed of in the area of usage), they