By Cindy Granier
The UH Department of Public Safety and Environmental Health and Life Safety, in partnership with the Provost Office and Facilities Services, have launched a program to place wall-mounted sharps containers in high public use buildings on campus.
“Sharps” is a common term given to needles and syringes that may be used by the general population for personal medical conditions. These items can pose a puncture hazard if not disposed of properly. Sharps containers are solid plastic containers where a person can safely dispose of a used needle or syringe.
Facilities Services has placed these containers in selected men’s and women’s restrooms, along with an identifying sign for each location.
The UH commuity is encouraged to take advantage of these wall-mounted units and dispose of any sharps in them and not in regular trash containers.
The first sharps container unit installed in each building is usually installed in the first floor restrooms so it is more accessible to the public. The buildings where they have been installed include:
Anyone who notices that a sharps container has become full can report it to Environmental Health and Life Safety at 713-743-5858 or ehs@uh.edu so that it can be disposed of properly and replaced.