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Problem with 1st ever sharps bin

C

CJCrennell

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
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She/Her
I’ve just got my 1st ever sharps bin (Sharpsafe 1 litre) & for the life of me I cannot get the lid to stay on. I’ve read the ‘instructions’ on the side of the bin that just says to ‘apply pressure to each corner in turn’ & it doesn’t seem to do anything. I thought the lids were supposed to lock into place so that they couldn’t accidentally come off & spill used sharps everywhere & that you could only access it through the flap to drop the sharps into. What am I doing wrong & if I can’t figure out how to make it stay on properly is it ok to use tape/rubber band or something to keep it place, or will the council refuse to pick it up? Any advice very gratefully received
 
If you fully shut the lid, before it's sufficiently full to be disposed of, then the closed lid is closed enough to stop you from adding to it as well as keeping you (or children) really safe. My (adult) daughter was tidying around me, closed the lid on an almost empty container and rendered it unusable!
 
I was told my GP Surgery would take it. However I thought having a new lance every go for just me was wasteful. I tested for the first time at end of September and haven't changed the needle yet. My sharps bin is therefore empty.
I will change it eventually.
 
CJCrennell said:
I’ve just got my 1st ever sharps bin (Sharpsafe 1 litre) & for the life of me I cannot get the lid to stay on. I’ve read the ‘instructions’ on the side of the bin that just says to ‘apply pressure to each corner in turn’ & it doesn’t seem to do anything. I thought the lids were supposed to lock into place so that they couldn’t accidentally come off & spill used sharps everywhere & that you could only access it through the flap to drop the sharps into. What am I doing wrong & if I can’t figure out how to make it stay on properly is it ok to use tape/rubber band or something to keep it place, or will the council refuse to pick it up? Any advice very gratefully received
Click to expand...
I assume you mean the whole big white square lid in the picture i’ve attached, that fits on to the yellow bit of it when you first assemble it?
Not the slots or flaps that are cut into the top of it, that you don’t close until it’s full.
Mine are usually assembled for me by the helpful receptionist at my GP surgery, when I pick one up, but I have noticed they have to lean their full weight on to each corner to get it to click in firmly so it doesn’t come off again.IMG_5178.png
 
Interesting. I've never had a bin with a white lid. Every day can be a schoolday.
 
I don’t assemble it until it’s full, libre applicators don’t fit in otherwise. Makes no difference anyway as needles will pour out of the big hole in the top if the sharps bin is in use and has the lid on and is tipped upside down anyway
 
Proud to be erratic said:
Interesting. I've never had a bin with a white lid. Every day can be a schoolday.
Click to expand...
Absolutely - I've never had one that needs assembling. Nor do mine have a big hole in the top.
 
Proud to be erratic said:
Interesting. I've never had a bin with a white lid. Every day can be a schoolday.
Click to expand...
My lid is yellow but it did need to be assembled.
I guess there are quite a few "flavours" of sharps bins in the wild.

i have 4 litre bin which takes about 18 months to fill so who knows what the next one will be like?
 
Yes don’t fully shut the sharps bin lid until you are ready for it to be collected. Once closed you aren’t supposed to be able to open them again.
 
Mine has only ever come assembled and mine is a SafeGuard which is yellow top and bottom. You can click the yellow flap down over the holes for the needles just part way and reopen or click it down fully to seal it for return to be disposed of when full. Fully sealing it takes much more effort, so I never feel like I am at risk of sealing it when I close the flap each time I have used it and with the flap shut nothing will come out if it gets knocked over or tipped upside down and shaken. I don't put Libre applicators in it, just the needles after disassembling and my pen needles and "annual" lancet. A 1 Litre box lasts me about 3-4 years.
 
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