The decision logic may be followed by a questionnaire designed to evaluate container performance based on each of the four performance criteria (functionality, accessibility, visibility, and accommodation). The questionnaire should assist product evaluation committees, facility management, and individual HCWs in proactive sharps disposal container selection and evaluation. Users of this questionnaire should be aware that the ideal product may not exist and that this evaluation tool was constructed on the basis of common product designs available at the time.
Product evaluators should inspect and operate sharps disposal container mechanisms in side-by-side comparisons. Representative sharps (syringes, IV sets, blades, pipettes, etc.) should be on hand in sufficient numbers to test the ease of use and the intended function of candidate products. Actual use conditions should be simulated, if possible. Before inserting test sharps, attempt to reopen sealed containers and attempt to spill or remove contents from unsealed containers if this is a functional requirement of the location of intended use. Evaluation facilitators should provide product manufacturer literature and visual instructions; they should also demonstrate proper operation of each container.
The waste management system represents a considerable investment for health care operations. Sharps disposal containers should be economical to acquire, store, assemble, use, and dispose of. Low unit prices do not always result in lowest overall costs. Total cost for the employer is best measured as a function of wear life, unit cost, capacity utilization, labor cost, capital investment, employee training, installation cost, disposal cost, savings in employee injury costs, employee task confidence, and compliance with standard precautions and 29 CFR 1910.1030 (OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard). Moreover, evaluation of cost is an ongoing process that may be a driving force in deciding when new sharps disposal containers are required or relocation of existing sharps disposal containers is more appropriate.
At this time, there is no quantitative score that indicates a container is sufficient for a particular purpose. Although it is not possible to provide precise guidelines for evaluating a particular score from the questionnaire, the lower the score from the questionnaire, the better the sharps disposal container (the highest score would be 44 points and the lowest score would be 220 points). The application of priority or value to a criterion must be done on a case-by-case basis. It may be useful to submit the currently used sharps disposal container to the questionnaire scoring system to compare it with the replacement models under consideration.
The following product selection questionnaire was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in conjunction with NIOSH Educational Resource Centers; The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore; the University of Texas, Houston; the University of California, Berkeley; and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York City.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Product evaluators should inspect and operate containers to be evaluated in side-by-side comparisons. Representative sharps (syringes, IV sets, blades, biopsy needles, pipettes, etc.) should be used to test candidate products. Actual use conditions should be simulated, if possible. Prior to inserting test sharps, attempt to reopen sealed containers and attempt to spill or remove contents from unsealed containers if this is a functional requirement. Evaluation facilitators should provide product manufacturer literature and visual instructions and should demonstrate proper operation of each of the containers. Use of this guideline requires knowledge that the ideal product may not exist and that this evaluation tool was based on common product designs available at the time.
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agree . . . . . disagree |
| Container is stable when placed on horizontal surface and when used as described in the product labeling for use in trays, holders, or enclosures | 1 2 3 4 5 |
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Container provides for puncture, leak, and impact resistance
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1 2 3 4 5 |
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Container, labels, warning devices, and brackets are durable
|
1 2 3 4 5 |
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Container is autoclavable, if necessary
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1 2 3 4 5 |
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Container is available in various sizes and capacities
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1 2 3 4 5 |
| Container is available with auxiliary safety features (e.g., restricted access to sharps in the container), if required | 1 2 3 4 5 |
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Closure mechanism will not allow needlestick injury
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1 2 3 4 5 |
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Closure mechanism provides secure seal
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1 2 3 4 5 |
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Design minimizes needle-tip flipback
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1 2 3 4 5 |
| Design promotes clinical performance (e.g., will not compromise sterile field or increase injury or infection control hazards) | 1 2 3 4 5 |
| Design resists easy reopening after sealing for final disposal or autoclaving | 1 2 3 4 5 |
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Inlet design defeats waste removal when open
|
1 2 3 4 5 |
| Inlet design prevents spillage of contents (physical or liquid) while sharps disposal container is in use in the intended upright position | 1 2 3 4 5 |
| Containers designed to be reopenable have removable lids design with tight closure that facilitates ease of removal with grip safety and comfort | 1 2 3 4 5 |
| Mounting brackets are rugged and designed for ease of service and decontamination | 1 2 3 4 5 |
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agree . . . . . disagree |
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Container available in various opening sizes and shapes
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1 2 3 4 5 |
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Containers are supplied in sufficient quantity
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1 2 3 4 5 |
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Container has an entanglement-free opening/access way
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1 2 3 4 5 |
| Container opening/access way and current fill status visible to user prior to placing sharps into container | 1 2 3 4 5 |
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Internal design/molding of container does not impede ease of use
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1 2 3 4 5 |
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Handles, if present, located above full-fill level
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1 2 3 4 5 |
| Handles, if present, facilitate safe vertical transport and are located away from opening/access way and potentially soiled surfaces | 1 2 3 4 5 |
| Fixed locations place container within arm's reach of point of waste generation | 1 2 3 4 5 |
| Fixed locations allow for installation of the container below horizontal vision level | 1 2 3 4 5 |
| If necessary, in high patient or visitor traffic areas, container should provide for security against tampering | 1 2 3 4 5 |
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agree . . . . . disagree |
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Color or warning label implies danger.
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1 2 3 4 5 |
| A warning indicator (i.e., color or warning label) is readily visible to the user prior to user placing sharps into container | 1 2 3 4 5 |
| Overfill level provided and current fill status is readily visible to the user prior to use placing sharps into container | 1 2 3 4 5 |
|
Sharps disposal container complies with OSHA requirements
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1 2 3 4 5 |
| Disposal opening/access way is visible prior to user placing sharps into container | 1 2 3 4 5 |
| Security, mounting, aesthetic, and safety features do not distort visibility of the opening/access way or fill status indicator | 1 2 3 4 5 |
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agree . . . . . disagree |
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No sharp edges in construction or materials
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1 2 3 4 5 |
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Safety features do not impede free access
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1 2 3 4 5 |
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Promotes patient and user satisfaction (i.e., aesthetic to extent possible)
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1 2 3 4 5 |
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Is simple to operate
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1 2 3 4 5 |
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Any emissions from final disposal comply with pollution regulations
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1 2 3 4 5 |
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Easy to assemble, if required
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1 2 3 4 5 |
| Components of containers that require assembly are easy to store prior to use | 1 2 3 4 5 |
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Use allows onehanded disposal
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1 2 3 4 5 |
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Product available in special designs for environments with specific needs (e.g., laboratories, emergency rooms, emergency medical services, pediatrics, correctional facilities) |
1 2 3 4 5 |
| Mounting system durable, secure, safe, cleanable, and, where appropriate, lockable | 1 2 3 4 5 |
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Mounting systems allow height adjustments
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1 2 3 4 5 |
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Design promotes task confidence
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1 2 3 4 5 |
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Cost effectiveness
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1 2 3 4 5 |
What design or performance requirements are missing from the product you evaluated that are really needed to safely or more comfortably conduct your job or sharpsrelated task?
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Additional Evaluator Concerns and Comments:
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