Millions of Americans dispose of sharps from diabetic or allergy injections in the restrooms of high-traffic places, resulting in the need for sharps containers in public restrooms. Unfortunately, the drug epidemic in our country has also contributed to needle use in public areas. However, secure receptacles for sharps are not always guaranteed. The result is loose or improperly discarded medical waste, which poses a glaring threat to the safety of both patrons and employees of these public spaces. Because of this, major Wisconsin convenience and grocery stores are opting for MERI’s Rugged Sharps Disposal Containers.
Safety of Employees and Patrons
The safety of employees and customers is the number one concern. When there’s no sharps container available, needles are often discarded in the trash, exposing employees to bio-hazardous material. “We are providing a service to our guests and preventing the sharps from being disposed of in our garbage cans,” reports the Senior Category Manager at Wisconsin’s largest convenience store chain. She adds that “the goal is to protect our coworkers from needle pokes.” Workplaces report used needles within reach of patrons, stowed away in toilet paper rolls and toilet tanks. Sharps are even flushed, clogging the plumbing and causing costly damages.
Some sharps boxes can’t do the job. For example, some individuals seek out used needles, and they often have no trouble opening or even removing typical receptacles. Therefore, a lockable sharps container that is very difficult to break into or remove from the wall, like MERI’s rugged sharps box, is highly recommended. Woodman’s Food Markets, a Wisconsin-based grocery store chain, is moving towards placing these highly durable containers in more of their 19 total stores. MERI’s rugged sharps containers are ideal for low-monitored, high-traffic areas we frequent each day. In addition, the lockable wall enclosure is easy to install and prevents access to used needles.
“Safety and the cleanliness of our bathrooms is important to our company, our customers, and our employees.”
How MERI Can Help Your Business
It doesn’t end with a box full of safely disposed of sharps. MERI’s Rugged Sharps Disposal System is a medical waste mailback kit that makes it convenient to return medical waste for safe disposal.
