Syringes and needles: use, disposal and incident follow-up
Needles and syringes can carry infectious materials like blood or body fluids. If they pierce your skin or come into contact with broken skin, they can pose a health risk.
Your supervisor is responsible for making sure that you:
- know the risks associated with needles and syringes
- complete the required training
- follow local requirements.
The designated Biosafety Officer (or Safety Officer) can provide specific advice on local requirements.
A needlestick injury happens when a needle accidentally pierces or scratches your skin. If this occurs, follow the correct procedure and report it immediately.
You can use this page as a starting point to help reduce risk, stay safe while working with needles and syringes and know what to do in the event of an injury.
Risk management
Before you start any task involving needles or syringes, make sure a risk assessment has been completed in SARAH and the right safety measures are in place.
Here are some things to check:
- you’ve completed the required training for handling and disposing of needles and syringes
- the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) is available for your task
- a sharps disposal container is nearby so you can dispose of used syringes and needles immediately
- the sharps container isn’t full and has space for more items.
Training requirements by activity
| Activity | Training |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate teaching with sterile needles | Supervised teaching; safety information in practical manuals |
| Collecting syringes/needles in the workplace (e.g. cleaning or security staff) | Information provided by HSW upon request) |
| Animal work with infectious or non-infectious material | Animal handling training (provided by Monash Animal Research Platform) |
| Clinical placements with potential exposure to contaminated needles | Placement induction; supervision by qualified practitioners |
| Research involving blood collection (phlebotomy) | Accredited phlebotomy course |
| Manipulating cell cultures, injecting chemicals into samples or equipment | Local induction and training. Follow SWI. Supervised until competent |
Correct disposal of syringes
Follow these steps to dispose of syringes:
- When you’ve finished using the needle, don’t recap the needle or separate the needle from the syringe.
- Place the needle and syringe (still connected) into a sharps container. Needles without a syringe will also need to be disposed of into the sharps container.
- Send full sharps containers for disposal straight away using an EPA-licenced waste disposal contractor. Your local Biosafety Officer, Safety Officer or the HSW Consultant/Advisor for your area can provide advice on waste disposal.
What to do if you find a syringe or needle
If you find a syringe or needle in your work area:
- before you do anything, make sure to secure the area
- don’t touch it until you’ve told your supervisor or the Safety Officer
- If you have access to gloves, put these on before touching the syringe/needle
- always pick up the syringe by the plunger or barrel (the plastic end) with the needle pointing away from you. You could use a brush and dustpan or tongs if available
- never touch the sharp needle end with fingers or hands
- don’t carry it to another area
- only move it once it’s safely inside a sharps container.
If you find a syringe or needle in a public area:
- don’t pick it up
- keep others away from the area
- call Security on (03) 9905 3333 – they’ll arrange collection and disposal.
Needlestick injuries
If you experience a needlestick injury involving a contaminated needle, follow these steps to stay safe and get support:
- Wash the wound with soap and water straight away, then cover it with a clean dressing.
- Follow first aid procedures.
- Let your supervisor,Biosafety or Safety Officer and First Aider know as soon as you can. Let them know the
- origin of the blood or body fluids,
- type and identity of the agent (including risk group classification),
- whether the material is human-derived or non-human, live, attenuated, or inactivated
- the nature of exposure (e.g. needlestick, splash),
- and the volume and concentration of material involved.
- Go to your doctor or the nearest emergency department as soon as possible.
- Give your doctor details about:
- when the injury happened
- how deeply the skin was pierced
- whether the needle was visibly contaminated with blood, body fluids or other biological material (e.g. microbiological culture/agent, cell culture and/or commercial cell lines)
- any first aid you’ve already done
- A copy of the risk assessment
- Complete an incident report in SARAH as soon as you’re able.
- The First Aider must also complete a first aid online report as soon as possible.
Need more help?
For confidential medical advice, contact the Health, Safety & Wellbeing team.