Sharps, Medical Waste, and Patient and Caregiver Instruction
Sets out how staff handle, package, label, carry and dispose of sharps and potentially infectious medical waste they generate in patients' homes under the Louisiana Sanitary Code and OSHA, how household-generated sharps are packaged under the Sanitary Code, and how the Agency teaches patients and caregivers to handle sharps, soiled dressings and spills safely.
About this policy
- Policy number
- LA-HH-IC-03
- Version
- 1.0
- Main rule
- 42 CFR §484.70(c)
- Library
- Louisiana home health · 57 policies
- Category
- Infection control
- Sections
- 18
In short
- Put used sharps in your sharps container right away and close it when it is three-quarters full.
- Bag blood-soaked dressings and other infectious waste in a labeled bag and bring it back to the office.
- Keep waste separate from clean supplies in your car.
- Teach patients to put their own sharps in a hard container, then inside another bag or container, before the trash.
- Clean blood spills with gloves, towels and a disinfectant, and report any exposure.
What's inside
18 sections. The full text comes with the One-time Policy Pack.
- Terms of Reference
- 1. Purpose
- 2. Scope
- 3. Definitions
- 4. Policy Statement (42 CFR §484.70(c))
- 5. Waste Staff Generate During Visits
- 6. Containers, Packaging and Labeling
- 7. Carrying Waste and Storage at the Office
- 8. Household-Generated Sharps
- 9. Spills of Blood or Body Fluids
- 10. Patient and Caregiver Instruction
- 11. Responsibilities
- 12. Records and Compliance Monitoring
- 13. Staff Training
- 14. References
- 15. Related Policies and Forms
- 16. Approval
- 17. Revision History
An inspector may ask
- What do your nurses do with used needles and blood-soaked dressings after a visit?
- Where is medical waste stored at your office, and who removes it?
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