Workers face injury risks from wrongly disposed sharps

Workers at Danish waste company Nordværk have found nearly three tonnes of glass, used needles, scalpels and other clinical waste in household hazardous-waste boxes, putting staff who sort the contents by hand at risk, DR reports.

Palle Bach Andreasen, a specialist worker at Nordværk’s hazardous-waste reception centre, says he regularly finds needles, scalpels and broken glass in the red boxes. The items make sorting slower because staff must take extra care, and their puncture-resistant gloves limit their dexterity.

Andreasen and several colleagues have been pricked by sharp objects hidden in waste. After an incident, workers must see a doctor and undergo checks for possible infections or diseases. The medical follow-up lasts three months, he said, adding that the uncertainty creates anxiety at work.

Nordværk says staff wear the required protective equipment and prioritise safety, but hidden sharp objects cannot be fully guarded against.

The red household hazardous-waste box is intended for items such as paint, batteries, cleaning products and leftover medicine. Glass, whether broken or not, should be sorted as glass. Needles belong in a yellow sharps container or should be taken to a recycling centre. Unused scalpels should be sorted as metal, while used ones belong in a yellow sharps container.

Nordværk handles waste collection in the municipalities of Aalborg, Brønderslev, Hjørring, Jammerbugt, Rebild and Mariagerfjord.