Frequently Asked Questions

Can we be sure that Sharpsmart sharps containers are completely decontaminated (including prions) and there is no risk of cross infection between hospitals? 

Sharps containers are not a patient-use device. Several decades of commercial use, along with Guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control confirm the innocuousness of sharps containers in disease transmission risk. Similarly, the unlikely presence of prions in a sharps collector is of no risk to patients, staff or factory workers. However, Sharpsmart procedures assume pathogens are present and the wash process has undergone stringent testing and validation by independent microbiologists and/or government health agencies in six countries. Furthermore, validation procedures show the Washsmart process removes all protein. Sharpsmarts and associated reusable sharps collectors have been used for over 18 years in more than 600 hospitals worldwide, without a single suggestion of cross-infection.