The careful handling of sharps can prevent injury and reduce the risk of infection. Following safe practices will decrease the chances of a worker getting cut and possibly contracting a blood borne illness.
Will Flower
Sharps is the general term that is used to identify items such as needles, broken glass, wire and other objects that can cause a laceration or penetrate the skin. Sharp objects present a serious risk to workers in the waste and recycling industry, especially when collecting waste and sorting recyclables. To reduce the risk, workers can wear protective equipment such as gloves and protective sleeves. However, even with protection, workers can still face a very serious injury especially if the sharp item is contaminated. For example, a needle stick or a cut from a contaminated sharp can result in a worker being infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and other blood borne pathogens.
Sharps can be present on commercial and residential routes. Hospitals, dental offices, clinics and veterinarians typically have designated containers and locations for sharps disposal. However, there are cases where medical waste including needles, syringes and even scalpels are mistakenly discarded in the regular garbage. Therefore, drivers and helpers who service healthcare facilities and animal clinics should always exercise extra caution.
Household waste can also include sharps. The use of syringes in the home has increased dramatically in the past 10 years. Today, syringes are used at home to control a variety of conditions including diabetes, human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis, allergies, as well as, for illegal drug use. The not-for-profit organization, Safe Needle Disposal (www.safeneedledisposal.org.) states that approximately 9 million syringe users will administer at least 3 billion injections outside health care facilities each year. Because there are limited options for safe disposal of needles and some people are unaware of how to properly dispose of their needles, sanitation workers are at risk when used needles are discarded in the trash.
Staying Safe
Education and protective equipment can help reduce or eliminate the hazards of occupational exposure to sharps and blood borne pathogens. New employees should receive safety training on the potential dangers associated with sharps and the precautions that must be taken to avoid injury. Additionally, veteran employees should be regularly reminded of the work practices and equipment that are used to stay safe and avoid cuts and puncture wounds.
Careful handling of bagged waste is especially important. When lifting or swinging a bag from the curb into the truck workers should always keep the bag away from their bodies. A worker should never use his or her leg to boost a bag into the hopper. Additionally, workers need to be careful when grabbing and lifting bags. Broken glass and other sharps can easily tear through the plastic and threaten the worker.
Workers in transfer stations must also be vigilant of sharp items. Syringes and lancets sometimes make their way to recycling facilities due to careless disposal by people that use them at home. Broken glass and other sharp objects can create an exposure hazard as material moves along the conveyor belt.
In an effort to keep workers safe, sorters must be required to wear personal protective equipment such as gloves and protective sleeves/arm guards. When sharps are discovered on the belt, the worker should immediately trigger the emergency stop to remove dangerous items from the belt. Workers should not attempt to pick up the sharps by hand, even with gloves and rely on a shovel or dust pan and hand broom to safely remove dangerous items from the conveyor belt.
The careful handling of sharps can prevent injury and reduce the risk of infection. Following safe practices will decrease the chances of a worker getting cut and possibly contracting a blood borne illness.
Next month’s safety series will focus on avoiding one of the most common injuries to workers in the waste and recycling industry—strains and sprains.
Will Flower is the Vice President of Corporate and Public Affairs at Winters Bros. Waste Systems (Westbury, NY). Will has 32 years of experience in the area of solid waste management and environmental protection. He has held operational and executive leadership positions at the Director’s Office of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Waste Management, Inc., Republic Services. Inc. and Green Stream Recycling.
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