Choosing the Right Sharpsguard Sharps Disposal Containers

14 March 2017

When storing and disposing of sharps such as needles, syringes, and medical tools, using the right containers is essential for ensuring that the safest possible treatment of waste is carried out. The Sharpsguard sharps containers and waste bins have been specially designed to meet the required standards for the disposal of medical waste. This handy guide will help you assess which containers will be right for you.

Conforming to BS and ISO Requirements

The Sharpsguard containers and bins have been manufactured to conform to various standards to help guarantee that the highest quality of containers are provided for waste disposal. Different ranges have been designed to meet the requirements of specific standards, and it is important that you find the right ones for your country. 

For England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the containers have been designed to conform with either BS 7320:1990 'Specification for sharps containers' or BS EN ISO 23907:2012 'Sharps injury protection - Requirements and test methods - Sharps containers'. Both of these standards have set guidelines to ensure a higher level of disposal safety.

For Scotland, the containers conform to the Scottish Health Technical Note 3 (SHTN 3): NHSScotland Waste Management Guidance. By complying with SHTN 3, the containers offer a more reliable method of sharps and waste disposal for medical environments in Scotland.

Sharpsguard Range for Scotland

Who Can Benefit from the Waste Containers?

If the container is required in public areas, those with rotary chambers, such as the Extra Yellow 8.5L Sharps Container can provide extra security to prevent any incidents or injuries from occurring. There are also containers designed for more discreet use, which is the case with the Pocket Black Needle Exchange Sharps Bin. Whatever your requirements, you can find a container that meets your disposal needs.

To make it easier to find the range for your individual requirements, the containers have been colour coded for easier identification.

Sharpsguard Orange 0.5L Sharps Container

Orange for Non-Contaminated Sharps

The orange containers are ideal for the disposal of sharps that have not been contaminated by medicinal waste. For Scotland, this waste is for disposal via the orange stream, and for the rest of the UK the disposal is to be carried out by incineration.

Some of the containers are compact in size and ideal for carrying around for external use, such as the Sharpsguard Orange 0.5L Sharps Container for Scotland, which is sold in a case of sixty containers. Whereas these are ideal for community healthcare workers and wardens who may require them on the go, the larger 37.5L General-Purpose Sharps Container will be useful for hospitals where wards require frequent sharps disposal in larger capacities.

Sharpsguard Yellow Container for Contaminated Sharps

Yellow and Blue for Contaminated Sharps (Excluding Cytotoxic/Cytostatic Waste)

When disposing of medicinal waste via the yellow stream in Scotland, the Pharmi Com-Plus 1L Waste Container for Scotland features a label and blue lid for accurate identification. The rectangular shape is also ideal for storing away before use, helping to ensure that there can always be a container at hand for immediate use.

Sharpsguard Purple Container for Cytotoxic and Cytostatic Waste

Purple for Cytotoxic and Cytostatic Waste

When waste and sharps have been contaminated by cytotoxic or cytostatic waste, they must be disposed of separately from other healthcare waste. The containers with the purple lids help to signify this with the inclusion of a label indicating that they contain infectious substances.

With many of these containers featuring sliding lids with apertures (such as the Cyto 5L Sharps Container for Scotland) or hinged doors for hands-free access (as seen with the Cyto 22L XA High-Volume Sharps Container), it is both easier and safer to add contaminated products to the containers without needing to constantly come into direct contact with the lids prior to disposal.

Sorting and Transporting Waste

Sharpsguard Theatre Disposal Holder

The approach to sorting sharps for storage and disposal can also be enhanced with the use of trays such as the POUDS Community Tray for Sharpsguard 1L Sharps Containers. This enables contents to be sorted out inside the tray to reduce the risk of injury from sharps and needlesticks. It can also be easily wiped down in between use for improved hygiene, which will be essential when handling potentially contaminated items.

Safer Disposal for Sharps and Waste

The Sharpsguard sharps disposal containers and waste bins offer products to suit the needs of any hospital, clinic, and medical centre. This reliable range of containers has been designed to adhere to a wide variety of requirements.

Whether you are looking to remove sharps from the building or relocate contaminated waste, you can be assured that you will be able to store, transport, and dispose of your medical waste safely and with ease.

You can view the full range of Sharpsguard disposal containers and waste bins here.

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