Buyers Guide: How to Select Effective Sharps Containers

Sharps containers are essential safety equipment for hospitals and healthcare settings. Whether you’re working in a small clinic or managing a hospital, making sure you have the right containers for disposing of needles, scalpels, and other sharp objects is crucial. It’s not just about keeping the hospital tidy, it’s about safety for staff and patients and compliance with medical guidelines.

There are safety standards in place for a reason. So let’s talk about what features you should really be looking for when buying sharps containers for hospitals. 

A good sharps container is designed to prevent needlestick injuries, protect against spills, and keep you from getting fined for not following safety guidelines.

Sharps Container Features 

There are a few key features that can make all the difference when you’re picking the right sharps container for your hospital.

Puncture-Resistant Material

This one’s pretty straightforward: you don’t want a container that’s going to break or crack under pressure. Medical sharps are designed to puncture the skin effectively for surgery, taking blood samples, or for administering drugs. When they’re disposed of, they need to go somewhere that’s built to withstand sharp edges. The last thing you need is for a container to give way and spill everything everywhere. MAP Medical supplies containers are made with puncture-resistant materials, which helps prevent this from happening.

Locking Lids

Locking lids are a vital feature for hospital sharps containers, because once sharps are inside, the container needs to stay sealed. It's not just about preventing accidental spillage; it’s also about making sure that the container can’t be opened by someone who shouldn’t be messing with it. For instance, when it’s being transported or stored, you don’t want any unwanted access. These locking lids help keep everything secure.

Different Sizes for Different Needs

One thing you might have noticed when it comes to sharps containers is that a “one-size-fits-all” approach doesn’t really work. In smaller clinics, you might not need giant, bulky containers. On the other hand, larger facilities with more procedures happening every day might need something that can handle more volume. The good news is that MAP Medical supplies a variety of container sizes, so you can select the one that works for your setting.

MAP Medical’s Catalog of Sharps Containers

MAP Medical supplies sharps containers that are built specifically to minimize the risks involved with sharps disposal. Needles, scalpels, broken glass; whatever the object, it’s got to be contained in a way that doesn’t put anyone in danger. The last thing anyone wants is to deal with a breach or a leak.

Our catalog of sharps containers are designed for the secure disposal of used needles, scalpels, and other sharp objects. These containers minimize the risk of needlestick injuries and ensure compliance with safety regulations. containers are puncture-resistant, meaning they won’t crack open or let fluids spill out. They’ve got locking lids, so once something’s inside, it’s staying contained. They come in a range of sizes so you can pick the one that fits your needs.

Final Thought

When you’re in charge of procurement, it feels like every decision is an urgent one. There’s always something to buy and to manage. But when it comes to sharps containers, this is one area where cutting corners is never worth it. A subpar container could lead to accidents, compliance issues, or worse.

So, take a minute to think about the small but important details that make sharps disposal safe and efficient. It’s about choosing the right sharps container design for your facility. It’s all about keeping everyone in your facility safe - from your staff to your patients. 

About MAP Medical

MAP Medical helps procurement teams find the supplies they need even when other distributors don’t have access to stock or can’t source hard to find items. With a product catalog featuring over 500,000 products from 3,000 manufacturers, MAP Medical supplies hospitals, acute care facilities, and educational & research labs with high quality products to match their exact requirements and budgets. Fast dispatch and delivery times, along with excellent customer service ensures the medical supply chain runs smoothly without interruption. 

MAP Medical is more than just a supplier -  we work as a strategic partner to enable every client that works with us to make tangible improvements in cost and time efficiencies. To find out more about how MAP Medical can help you, get in touch with our team today.