b'GUEST VIEWOffering Sharps Disposal at Your Park & Best PracticesAccording to the Food and Drug Administration, its very important for sharps to be disposed of properly because some medical conditions,Irene such as Hepatitis or HIV, can spread infection from a sharp pinprick. JonesWhen it comes to owning a park, one oflive with diabetes or prediabetesalmostSnyder, from McNeil Risk Management. the areas that may be overlooked is provid- 30% of the population. At KOA, one of ourTheOSHAstandardforbloodborne Do not place contaminated sharps in ing a safe space for campers to dispose ofcentral beliefs is that camping is fun andpathogens requires that any employee ex- a full or overfilled sharps container. sharp-edged medical devices such as nee- for everyone and mindfully adding itemsposed to blood or other potentially infec-Never open, empty or manually clean dles, fingerstick lancets and syringes usedlike this can make camping not only moretiousmaterials(OPIM),followpropera reusable sharps disposal container. for medical conditions including allergies,accessible but also safer.safety precautions when working with nee-Close the lid of a contaminated sharps diabetes, treating HIV/AIDS, blood clottingAccording to the U.S. Food and Drugdlesandotherpossiblecontaminatedcontainer before disposing of it. diseases and more.Administration,itsveryimportantforsharps as part of their job duty. Place primary sharps containers in sec-Typically referred to just as sharps, withsharps to be disposed of properly becauseHandling, Storage and Disposalondary containers for disposal if there is any more and more people camping, the idea ofsome medical conditions, such as HepatitisThe best way to prevent cuts and stickschance the primary container has a leak. having proper sharps disposal containers inor HIV, can spread infection from a sharpfrom sharps is to minimize your contactSecondary containers should be closable, campground restrooms is growing in pop- pinprick. If the skin is accidentally stuck bywith them. Follow these safety precautionslabeled or color-coded and leak resistant. ularity. In fact, Kampgrounds of Americaa used sharp, the area should be washed orwhenhandling,storingordisposingofNeedle Safety Inc. (KOA) has added these containers to itsdisinfected, and you should seek medicalsharps:If you are stuck by a needle or other con-quality assurance review in 2022. attention from a physician or local hospital.Neverreachintoacontaminatedtaminated sharp or get blood or fluids in In 2022, we added medical sharps dis- Marshall & Sterling checked with thesharps container.your eyes, nose, mouth or on broken skin, posal as a point item on our Quality Assur- four leading U.S. campground insurers to Never shear or break contaminatedimmediately flood the exposed area with ance review. Point items, unlike core, aresee if having these disposal containers insharps.water and clean any wound with soap and optionalandnotrequired,notedAnnpark bathrooms would be acceptable. All Do not recap, bend or remove needleswater or a skin disinfectant, if available. You Emerson, COO of KOA Franchise. Camp- fourPhiladelphia, Great American, Mc- unless medically necessary. If there is noshould report the incident to your supervi-ground owners can choose to add medicalNeil and K&Kfound sharps containersother alternative, make sure to use a me- sor and seek immediate medical attention. sharps disposal containers to their bath- acceptable as long as there are proper dis- chanical device or one-handed technique.Never dump sharp containers in with reg-rooms as a proactive approach to preventingposal procedures in place. Disposal regula-Dispose of sharps immediately after use.ular garbage. If you are looking to have sharps needle sticks that show an overall concerntions can vary by state, so plan to comply Dispose of contaminated sharps inneedle containers at your park plan to meet for the health and safety of guests and staff.with state law and hire a medical waste dis- designated sharps containers only.stateregulations,havemedicaldisposal It is a courtesy to guests if they find them- posal company for disposal.Sharps containers should be puncture- pickup of the containers and train staff on selves in need of disposing of a needle, lancetThe biggest things are to ensure any staffresistant, leak-proof and labeled or color- OSHA Bloodborne pathogen best practices. or fingerstick device correctly and safely.handlingthemaretakingbloodbornecodedredindicatingtheirhazardous While there are many medical reasonspathogen training as required by the Occupa- contents. Containers for disposable sharpsIrene Jones, an associate in risk manage-one might require these devices, one of thetional,SafetyandHealthAdministrationshould always have a lid and be main- ment and the program manager for the Mar-mostcommonisdiabetes,sheadded.(OSHA), for anyone performing maintenancetained in an upright position to keep liq- shall&SterlingCampgroundInsurance More than 100 million people in the U.S.and housekeeping type duties, said Daviduids and sharps inside.Program.WCM12 April 2022 Woodalls Campground Magazine'