What goes in a biohazard bag?

Answer 1

Hello, I teach a college-level phlebotomy course and I can answer this question from that perspective, however I'm sure OSHA has much more on the subject. In phlebotomy, biohazard bags are the recepticle for tubes full of real blood (as opposed to the fake blood the students practice with); also any blood-soaked items would go in there. Not just routine band-aids and gauze - it would have to be blood-soaked such as a surgical dressing or something like that. In a real lab, accidental spills and broken tubes occur, so the blood and small bits of broken glass would go in the biohazard bag, which is actually a double bag within a biohazard cardboard box. Sharps containers are another type of biohazard container - they are stiff and impervious to needles and lancet blades, so this is where those types of items are disposed. Needles and lancets never go in just a biohazard bag - they go into a Sharps container first. Some items can go either in regular trash or biohazard depending on the facility's policy - For example, the thermometer probe they stick in your mouth to take your temperature is usually just "regular trash," but some facilities throw it in biohazard. Hope that helps! /Sb