Laboratory Sharps and Laboratory Glass
Sharps and laboratory glass present a significant risk for cuts, puncture wounds, and potential exposure to hazardous or infectious materials if not handled, used, and disposed of properly.
Laboratory sharps include, but are not limited to, needles, syringes, scalpels, razor blades, and other devices capable of puncturing or cutting the skin. Laboratory glass includes items such as glass pipettes, slides, vials, and broken glassware. These materials must be managed in accordance with 草榴社区地址 policies and procedures, the Biosafety program, and the Exposure Control Plan to reduce the risk of injury and exposure.
草榴社区地址 requires that all laboratory sharps and contaminated glass be disposed of immediately after use in approved, puncture鈥憆esistant, leak鈥憄roof sharps containers. Sharps must never be recapped, bent, removed from devices, or handled by hand after use. Broken laboratory glass shall not be handled with bare hands and must be collected using appropriate tools and disposed of in designated containers as directed by Environmental Health and Safety (EHS).
EHS provides oversight, training, and guidance related to sharps safety and laboratory glass handling and manages the University鈥檚 sharps injury prevention and reporting requirements. Safe management of sharps and laboratory glass is a shared responsibility among laboratory personnel, supervisors, and EHS, and is essential to protecting the 草榴社区地址 community and maintaining compliance with applicable safety and regulatory standards.
Is it Sharps or Glass?
There is a difference between 鈥渟harps鈥 waste and 鈥渓aboratory glass鈥 waste. As such, it is important to understand the difference and handle these wastes accordingly.
Laboratory Glass
Laboratory glass and plasticware are not considered 鈥渟harps鈥 for disposal purposes. 鈥淟aboratory glass鈥 (including plasticware) is any item that could puncture regular waste bags and therefore endanger waste handlers. Laboratory glass must be placed in sturdy cardboard boxes for safety during transport through the building. Any cardboard box may be used, provided it is sturdy and of a size that will not weigh more than 40 pounds when full.
Laboratory glass boxes are available through EHS and Facilities. To request a new box or the removal of a box, please complete a Facilities work order request.
Boxes must be properly sealed with packing tape (do not just fold the top over on itself) and labeled 鈥淟aboratory Glass.鈥 Place the sealed box alongside your regular waste container for collection by Facilities.
Never use these boxes for the disposal of:
- Sharps
- Biohazardous materials that have not been autoclaved
- Liquid wastes
- Chemically contaminated laboratory glassware/plasticware
- Chemical containers that cannot be disposed of as regular solid waste
Contaminated laboratory glass must be appropriately decontaminated prior to disposal.
Sharps
Sharps are a restricted waste, according to state and local regulators, and must not be disposed of in the regular waste stream. The term "sharps" is a regulatory waste classification associated with those instruments used to puncture, cut, or scrape body parts and that, as waste, can cause punctures or cuts to solid waste handlers or the public. This is interpreted to mean that any instrument that looks like it is meant to be used in this manner must be disposed of as sharps waste. The sharps definition includes, but is not limited to, the following items:
- Hypodermic needles
- Syringes
- IV tubing with needles attached
- Lancets
- Scalpel blades
- Glass Pasteur pipettes
- Microtome blades
- Dental scalers
- Razor blades
- Other sharp, metal lab waste
Such items must be disposed of in an authorized sharps container that is leak-proof, rigid, puncture-resistant, and made from durable plastic. The container is red and is equipped with a tight-fitting lid for use during handling and transport.
If you have questions about sharps disposal or infectious wastes, or need a sharps container picked up, please contact ehs@une.edu.