What is the correct procedure for handling and disposing of sharps?

The correct procedure for handling and disposing of sharps involves placing sharps in a designated sharps container without recapping needles. This method is vital for ensuring safety and preventing needlestick injuries. Sharps containers are specifically designed to hold sharp objects such as needles, blades, and other instruments that can pose a risk of injury or infection.

By not recapping needles before placing them in the sharps container, the risk of accidentally pricking oneself during the disposal process is minimized. Recapping is a common practice that can lead to injury if not done correctly, thus leaving needles uncapped when disposing of them directly into the sharps container is a best practice in infection control.

In contrast, throwing sharps in regular trash bags poses significant hazards, as these items can easily puncture the bags, leading to potential injuries for sanitation workers and others who handle waste. Soaking sharps in disinfectants before disposal does not effectively eliminate the risk of injury or infection, and such a method is not standard practice in healthcare settings. Rewrapping needles securely may seem like a cautious act, but it increases the risk of injury during the recapping process and does not address the need for placing sharps in an appropriate container for safe disposal.