Handling Blood Spills and Sharps

Cleaning up BODY FLUID SPILLS (blood, urine, saliva, faeces, etc) You should always: Isolate the area.

Wear gloves and eye protection, such as goggles, when available.

Soak up the fluid with disposable paper towels. Scoop up waste using a piece of cardboard (or similar), and place in a plastic bag. Tie bag securely and dispose in the household garbage.

To clean the surface, mix one part bleach to 10 parts water and apply to the area for 10 minutes. Wash with hot water and detergent. Dry the area.

Dispose of paper towelling and gloves appropriately.

Wash your hands.

Rinse any contaminated clothing in cold running water, soak in diluted bleach solution for half an hour, then wash separately from other clothing or linen with hot water and detergent.

Department for Health and Ageing, SA Health has contributed funds towards this program.

Handling SHARPS & other contaminated objects Safe handling procedure for sharps and contaminated objects (like bandages) include: Never attempt to re-cap or bend used needles.

Keep your hands away from the sharp end when picking up a syringe. Use protective gloves or tongs if you can.

Place all contaminated objects in an appropriate puncture-proof container, which is yellow and marked with a black biohazard symbol ( ).

If appropriate sharps container is not available, use a rigid-walled, shatter-proof, container, ideally with a wide mouth and secure lid.

Bring the container to the syringe, don’t carry the syringe to the container.

Department for Health and Ageing, SA Health has contributed funds towards this program.

Where to get HELP on sharps, jabs & spills: Your GP Hepatitis SA Helpline: 1800 437 222 Needle Clean Up Hotline: 1300 131 340 Occupational Health and Safety officer at your workplace Contact the local council about any needles disposed unsafely on public property

Department for Health and Ageing, SA Health has contributed funds towards this program.