1. Any time that a Community Care employee or contractee
is required, due to the physical care of a client, to dispose of syringes or
other sharps, the employee or contractee will follow
the appropriate disposal process as included in this procedure and as
recommended by the Community Care Medical Director. This process should be in
place prior to the use of any syringe or other sharp.
2. Disposal of such (syringes or sharps) must include the use of protective
equipment to cover the hands, safety procedures to avoid exposure, a container
to place the sharps in that limits potential hazards and access (a covered
coffee can or bottle with a slit for dropping the sharp into the container will
suffice for most programs such as foster care), and a process for removing the
sharps from the premises at regular intervals must be included. For programs
where a more stringent procedure must be used due to licensing regulations, the
procedure will be cleared through the Community Care Medical Director.
3. Any time a Community Care employee or contractee
is required to dispose of medical waste, the employee or contractee
must follow the guidelines established in orientation training including BBP
and First Aid. Within most settings at Community Care, medical waste is typically
less than 20 and requires only double bagging of the waste material. The double
bagging procedure is as follows: the employee or contractee
must use protective equipment to avoid exposure. The waste should be placed in
a trash bag and the bag should be tied closed. This bag will them be placed
within another trash bag and tied securely.
4. The disposal of medical waste and syringes in the foster home is the
responsibility of the contracted foster parent.