The proper disposal of medical waste is of critical importance, as not doing so can have serious consequences for patients, healthcare workers, and even the community at large. Broadly speaking, medical waste includes the following:
- Pathological waste: Human tissues, body parts and fluids
- Chemical waste: Disinfectants and heavy metals inside medical devices, solvents and reagents, batteries
- Cytotoxic waste: Waste containing highly hazardous substances that are mutagenic, teratogenic or carcinogenic
- Pharmaceutical waste: Expired or contaminated medicines and vaccines
- Radioactive waste: Radioactive diagnostic material or radio-therapeutic materials
- Sharps waste: “Sharps” meaning devices with sharp edges that can puncture or cut skin such as needles, syringes, lancets, scalpels, and infusion sets.
Sharps Injuries & Associated Risks
One of the most adverse yet easily avoidable outcomes associated with healthcare waste is sharps-inflicted injuries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an individual who experiences one needle stick injury from a contaminated needle has a risk of 30%, 1.8%, and 0.3% respectively of getting infected with hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Moreover, additional hazards may take place during handling and manual sorting of such harmful waste at hospitals and healthcare facilities, putting waste handlers at immediate risk of needle-stick injuries and exposure to toxic materials. This is why it is highly recommended that hospitals and healthcare facilities use sharps disposal safety containers for disposing of used needles and other sharps.
Safety Boxes
A sharps disposal container or safety box is a specially designed puncture-resistant and leak-resistant container for collection and disposal of sharps. The correct use of safety boxes can help prevent needlestick injuries, thus preventing the risk of injury and infection. Both health workers and waste handlers play an important role in proper use of safety boxes, beginning from assembly to final disposal. All safety boxes must have the following features:
- They should be made of heavy-duty plastic.
- They must have a tight-fitted, puncture-resistant lid through which sharps are not able to come out.
- They should be leak-resistant.
- They should be stable and upright during use.
- They should be clearly labeled to mention that there is hazardous waste inside the container.
It is important to immediately dispose of sharp wastes after use in a safety box. Moreover, safety boxes are typically marked with a line to indicate when the container is about three-fourths full. It should never be overfilled.
HMD Kojak Safety Box
Manufactured by India’s top manufacturer of medical equipment Hindustan Syringes & Medical Devices (HMD) Ltd., Kojak safety boxes are characterized by superior design and quality. Impeccably designed to safely dispose of medical sharps like needles, some of the key features of the Kojak safety box are as follows:
- Crafted out of high-quality white duplex Kraft Board with superior board density and thickness
- Handle at the centre for reduction of spillage and easier handling
- Tamper-proof, leak-resistant, temperature-resistant, and puncture-resistant
- Easy to assemble, does not require training
- Clear multi-lingual instructions and illustrations on directions for use
- Available in 5 and 10-litre capacities
- Suitable for both syringes with and without needles
- WHO standard WHO/PQS/E10/SB01.1
Thus, with the help of a high-quality sharps disposal container like the Kojak Safety Box, hospitals, clinics, and healthcare facilities can easily address the disposal of used needles and other medical sharps, ensuring 100% safety for patients, health workers, and other non-medical personnel.