OSHA guidelines are for safety. It would certainly be unsafe practice for one to try and remove a needle from a syringe with a cap on it. My proposal for my HMO is to set up a policy that would place a small sharps container in each room that would be marked "unused sharps". This would be the receptacle for recapped needles and would be classified as class VII for disposal purposes.
Hopefully, this will be agreeable to you. We are also attempting to be practical and logical as well. Your prompt attention to this matter will be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at Yours truly, Patricia Seigel, R. Standard Interpretations Archived Requirements for recapping of Needles. It is presented here as historical content, for research and review purposes only. Seigel: Thank you for your letter of May 13, in which you requested clarification on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA requirements regarding recapping of used needles.
Immediately after use, discard needle and syringe whether contaminated or not into puncture resistant sharps containers. Never discard sharps into regular trash.
Never discard sharps into bags of biological waste. Use care and caution when cleaning up after procedures that require the use of syringes and needles.
Do not overfill sharps containers. Recommended for use with syringe filters, where possible, to reduce risk of joint bursting apart under pressure. Selecting the Appropriate Needle Hypodermic Length The needle should be long enough to reach the liquid comfortably. If the needle is too short, this encourages vessel to be awkwardly tipped, which may cause spillage. A long thin needle: Can cause excessive resistance to liquid flow, especially for viscous liquids.
Increases the risk of accidentally pulling the plunger out of the barrel when withdrawing liquid. May fall off due to excessive pressure or cause liquid to leak between barrel and plunger. Avoid unnecessarily long needles as they are awkward to handle and buckle if thin. Consider the following when selecting a needle diameter for an application: Appropriate gauge size depends on viscosity and hazard of the liquid.
Thin needles can be hard to handle. A thin needle can easily bend or break when piercing a rubber septum. This can cause an increased risk of materials aerosolizing and leaking. Increased dead volume with smaller gauge size may cause difficulty when priming the syringe. Viscous samples may be difficult to extract. Slower withdrawal rates may be necessary to prevent over pressurizing of the syringe. A wide needle may cause damage to a rubber septum resulting in a clogged or defective needle.
Cannulas A hollow, double ended needle. Used to safely transfer gases or liquids between two vessels. One end may be blunt while the other end pointed or both ends may be pointed. Material is usually stainless steel but PTFE is available for special purposes.
Designed for transferring and handling of air-sensitive materials between reaction vessels. Various bore sizes and lengths are available depending on usage. Safer Needle Devices The most basic way to increase needle safety and avoid needlestick injuries is to use blunt ended needles wherever possible. Self-sheathing : A shield that slides over the needle and locks in place.
Retractable: Needle retracts into the syringe. Add-on Device: Hinged or sliding shield attached to needle. Eclipse Needles: An attached single-handed safety mechanism that locks over the needle. Needle and Syringe Safe Practices Carefully assemble needle and syringe. Carefully remove the cap from the needle. Extract the necessary volume by slowly pulling back the plunger.
NOTE: Take extreme care not to withdraw the plunger too far if handling hazardous liquids e. When dispensing liquid, avoid excessive pressure on the plunger which may cause the needle to pop off.
Dispose of the uncapped syringe and needle in the appropriate sharps waste container immediately following use.
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