Infection Control Manual

Section VI: Handling Needles and Sharps:

General Policy

Departments and dental care providers within UNC School of Dentistry will use proper handling and disposal of sharps as outlined below.

North Carolina Waste Management

Sharps are considered medical waste. The North Carolina Solid and Hazardous Waste Management Branch has developed rules relating to the disposal of regulated medical waste. Within the School of Dentistry, the following are considered regulated medical waste: Human tissue, and blood products (including blood, serum, plasma). Incineration or sanitary sewers are appropriate means to discard those items.

Sharps as defined include, but are not limited to, needles, syringes with attached needles, capillary tubes, slides and cover slips, scalpel blades and the sharps included in the Dental Tray.

Sharp items may be incinerated or placed into the sanitary landfill after placement in a rigid puncture-proof container.

Policy for Handling Needles and Sharps

1. The healtcare provider will obtain a new sheath-guard/prop card with every new needle. Attach the card before attaching the needle to the syringe. All needles are to remain in the sheath until use. After use, the needle will be returned to the sheath-guard/prop until further use or disposal. The card is for one-handled re-sheathing of needles.
2. Do not bend needles for disposal. Only irrigating syringe needles used for endodontics may be carefully bent with needle forceps.
3. Use the Sharps Disposal Canister located in each operatory to discard all used needles, blades (removed with needle forceps), wire or other sharps for disposal.

4. If the canister is full, bring another canister to the site to discard the sharp(s).

Policy for Disposal of Dental Sharps

1. All used needle disposal syringes, scalpel blades, anesthetic carpules, and other sharp disposable items, must be placed in covered, puncture-resistant, leak-proof containers, labeled as Biohazard. When full, the containers are taken to a specified area in the basement of Tarrson Hall, located near Central Sterilization.
2. These materials are picked up on a monthly basis by the contracted medical waste facility.

Last modified: