Sharpsmart: Size and Location Impact on Sharps Injuries

Authors:   Grimmond T and Naisoro W

Publication:   Waste Management & Research 2012; 30: Pages 639-642 

Summary: 

What was the study? 

The study ‘A 6-year, 3-phase study comparing use of a small patient-room sharps disposal container with a larger engineered sharps container’ examined the impact of converting from a small patient room sharps container to the Daniels Sharpsmart reusable sharps container.

What were the results?

Phase 1: (Non-Sharpsmart disposable sharps containers)

• 19.4% of SI were sharps container-related.

Phase 2: (Sharpsmart sharps containers in med-rooms)

• Sharps Container-Associated SI fell 94.9%
• Disposal related SI fell 71.1%
• Transport injuries rose

Phase 3: (Sharpsmarts sharps containers in patient rooms)

• Sharps Container-Associated SI were zero
• Disposal related SI fell 83.1%
• Recapping SI fell 85.1%

Compared to small portable Sharps Containers, use of the larger, safety-engineered Sharpsmart sharps container mounted on patient room walls can result in significantly fewer staff sustaining container-related SI annually. The Sharpsmart sharps containers' volume, large aperture, passive overfill protection, one-hand deposit and close-at-hand siting are postulated as contributing t0 the reduction in disposal-related Sharps Injuries."

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