The Goldilocks Guide to Sharps Containers

Goldilocks knew a thing or two about finding the perfect fit. Too hot, too cold, too soft, too hard; nothing felt right until she found that sweet spot in the middle. This same logic applies with the size of your sharps containers.

Last month, we talked about finding the “just right” fit for your RMW bins. This time, Goldilocks has stepped into a new part of the hospital, searching for the sharps container that is not too small, not too big, but just right. Because when it comes to sharps disposal, the right fit really does matter to ensure healthcare, uninterrupted.

At Daniels Health, we help facilities identify the ideal sharps solution for their unique spaces, keeping safety, compliance and seamless workflow perfectly balanced.

Now let’s follow along with Goldilocks as she discovers the challenges of containers that are too big, too small and “just right.”

IN THIS GUIDE: 

When Your Sharps Container Are Way Too Big

Large sharps containers can seem like a good idea, but when they don’t fit the space or workflow, they often create more problems than they solve.

Occupying Space & Spending More

Every inch of hospital space matters.

A container that is too big can block access, disrupt workflow or make it harder for staff to move around safely. Picture a doctor reaching for equipment only to find a bulky container in the way. That kind of inconvenience can slow down care and create unnecessary headaches.

Why put your facility through that if it’s not needed?

But it isn’t just space being wasted; it’s money, too. The simple truth is that larger containers cost more to buy and to service.

Think of a right-sized container as the perfect puzzle piece: it fits the room exactly, with no extra spending or wasted space.

Staff Safety

If space is not an issue, larger containers can become heavy and harder to move, which can lead to extra strain on field service workers if not complemented by purpose-designed movement accessories.

Think of it like the little bear trying to carry Papa Bear’s bed. He could do it, but why risk possibly becoming injured?

Daniels Health helps remove this concern with our innovative transport accessories. Our Transporters make it easy for field service workers to move containers safely between healthcare facilities and our processing sites. In addition, our Internal Delivery Cart for container movement within hospital facilities can hold up to 16 containers, distributing weight evenly and helping staff safely move sharps waste.

Be Compliant. No Fines.

Fines are like tickets; unnecessary and completely avoidable. Even Goldilocks might have faced one for wandering into the Bears’ home uninvited. Staying compliant keeps your facility from facing those same unwanted surprises.

When a container is too large, it may take longer to fill, which means sharps can sit inside for extended periods without the container undergoing a thorough cleaning and sanitization process. Some states regulate how long sharps can remain in a container or how full it can get.

For example, in Michigan, a sharps container can be maintained until it is three-quarters full but no longer than 18 months from the first disposal date. Failing to follow these rules can lead to fines of up to $5,000 for a first offense, misdemeanor charges, and even possible jail time.

Or in New York, sharps containers in patient care areas must be removed from service within 30 days or sooner if they become full or start to show signs of putrefaction.

Oversized containers might seem efficient at first but still is not the “just right” fit Goldilocks and we want.

When Your Sharps Containers Are Just Too Small

Something that is too small might seem easy to manage at first, but in a fast-paced healthcare environment, it often creates more challenges than convenience.

The Price of Inefficient Workflow

When a container is too small, field service workers or hospital EVS staff must exchange it more often. These extra visits add labor cost, take up valuable time and interrupt other vital hospital tasks. The more exchanges needed, the higher the transportation costs become: more frequent scheduled collections, more fuel and on-road costs.

A container that is too small may look practical, but it can quickly drain both time and resources.

Patient Disruptions

Remember how the bears felt when Goldilocks wandered into their home uninvited?

Patients feel the same way when their rest of recovery is disturbed. Frequent container exchanges but they can create disruptions that can affect comfort and satisfaction.

Patient experience surveys like Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS), measure patient’s perspectives of their hospital care. Patient interruptions are a proven driving factor in lowering HCAHPS scores. This is because patients feel their healing and rest are negatively impacted by excessive in-room traffic and unwanted interruptions. Since HCAHPS scores directly influence the reputation and visibility of hospitals nationwide, they also significantly contribute to the level of funding the hospital receives.

Choosing the right size container helps staff stay efficient while giving patients the peaceful, focused care experience they deserve.

Safety Risks of Full Containers

In healthcare, every second matters. If a nurse is performing a procedure and the nearest container is already full, what do they do?

Maybe, they are forced to stop what should be a simple task and search for another container. Or in some cases, they might find a temporary location to store the used needle.

This becomes more than just an inconvenience, it adds risk to both patients and staff in exposure to used sharps, and it presents a major compliance violation.

The time spent searching for an empty sharps container pulls a healthcare provider away from their primary duty, patient care. These small delays can have a significant impact on workflow and patient outcomes.

The fast-paced nature of patient-care naturally necessitates juggling, so adding another step of “replacing a container” during patient responsibilities can sometimes be bypassed by trying to force sharps into an already full container. An overflowing sharps container is a primary cause of container-associated sharps injuries, posing a significant risk not only to staff but also to patients and visitors, especially if located in a patient room or an unsecured area of the hospital. Penetration by a used sharp carries the risk of bloodborne pathogen exposure, as well as potential fines and penalties associated with unsafe and non-compliant practices.

For example, in December 2015, OSHA fined Kaiser Foundation Hospitals $149,000 for exposing staff to injury and infection from used needles due to overflowing sharps containers. At least three employees had been stuck by contaminated needles in the previous two years because containers often overflowed and could not close properly.

(Fun fact: with the Daniels Sharpsmart, overfill is impossible. Our built-in overfill protection ensures sharps volume is limited to the safe usable capacity of the container, making it Goldilocks approved for safe waste management.)

Daniels Delivers Sharps Containers That Are “Just Right”

When Goldilocks found the “just right” bed, she slept soundly. Imagine that same peace of mind in your facility. At Daniels, we make sure our Sharpsmarts are “just right,” so waste management runs smoothly in the background, with patient care able to be the first and foremost concern of healthcare professionals.

Tailored Solutions for Every Facility

No two hospitals are the same, and your waste program should reflect that. Our team starts by auditing your facility by department. We then look at staffing, available space, waste movement processes and waste volumes to make sure container sizes, placement and workflows reflect department and ward-level requirements for optimal safety, compliance and efficiency.

Data-Driven Decisions

We utilize historical waste data to optimize waste container mapping and segregation processes for sharps, medical waste and other clinical waste streams. By auditing container fill levels, tracking frequency of container exchange and observing waste movement workflows, we design a waste management program that matches container type and placement with workflow efficiency, reducing costs and delivering against best-practice compliance benchmarks.

At Daniels, we call it, letting your data go to waste; ensuring your sharps and medical waste management is backed by measurable results.

Support and Training That Never Ends

Daniels’ hospital waste experts work closely with clinical and EVS teams to educate staff on safe handling, proper segregation and workflow best practices. Account and field service managers provide department, facility-level and system-level guidance ensuring waste management practices are standardized, so staff are trained and confident in best-practice safe handling procedures, ensuring waste movement processes run smoothly from day one.

Sometimes, finding the “just right” fit takes a few tries, but we promise to be your partner every step of the way, even after you find it.

The Moment Your Sharps Containers Are “Just Right”

Goldilocks knew when something felt “just right,” and so do we. Daniels Health helps facilities create safer, more efficient workflows with innovative sharps containers that are sized to reflect the needs of both secure and public-access areas of a hospital.

The best part? Once our “just right” solution is installed and rolled out across your facility, our industry-defining Sharpsmart container delivers measurable safety results. Average results taken from multiple peer-reviewed clinical studies show:

Just like Goldilocks realized, finding the “just right” fit is essential. With results like these, it is clear that “just right” is a safer way to manage sharps waste.

Find your “just right” with Daniels Health; connect with us today.