Sharps, Medical Waste, and Patient Instruction
Sets out how Agency staff handle sharps and other waste they generate in patients’ homes, how sealed containers are collected and treated through an authorized biomedical waste contractor, what staff do about loose sharps found in a home, and how patients and families are taught, by word and in writing, to dispose of their own household sharps safely.
About this policy
- Policy number
- GA-HH-IC-03
- Version
- 1.0
- Main rule
- 29 CFR §1910.1030
- Library
- Georgia home health · 56 policies
- Category
- Infection control
- Sections
- 16
In short
- Put used sharps in a sharps container immediately. Never overfill it.
- Never put an Agency sharps container or biohazard bag in the household trash.
- Teach patients who use needles at home how to dispose of them safely, and give them the written handout.
- If you find a loose needle, use gloves and a tool to put it in a container, and tell the case manager.
What's inside
16 sections. The full text comes with the One-time Policy Pack.
- Terms of Reference
- 1. Purpose
- 2. Scope
- 3. Definitions
- 4. Policy Statement (29 CFR §1910.1030 and Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-3-4-.15)
- 5. Waste Agency Staff Generate in the Home
- 6. Sharps the Patient or Family Uses
- 7. Loose Sharps Found in the Home
- 8. Collection, Transport, and Treatment
- 9. Responsibilities
- 10. Records and Compliance Monitoring
- 11. Staff Training
- 12. References
- 13. Related Policies and Forms
- 14. Approval
- 15. Revision History
An inspector may ask
- Where do your nurses put a used needle in a patient’s home, and what happens to the full container?
- Who collects and treats your biomedical waste? Show me the contract.
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