How many times are Sharpsmart containers re-used? How do you guarantee the containers are clean?

Sharpsmart's safety engineered sharps containers have a minimum life expectancy of 10 years (or 500 turns). The minimum lifespan (under normal conditions) was tested as a requirement by the FDA USA. Following each use, the containers and all mechanical components are subjected to a stringent quality control test to ensure that they are fi t for purpose and that all labelling and seals are in tact. The containers are subjected to a validated cleaning process in a ‘Washsmart’ tunnel washer. The robotic process enables hands-free, safe and thorough decontamination, developed and tested to achieve a 6-Log reduction in microorganisms. This is proven utilising a documented pathogen challenge. The 6-stage cleaning process encompasses high-pressure cold flushes, warm water washes and a hot final rinse. Hospital-grade disinfectant is used to ensure soil removal. The machines incorporate closed loop control systems with parametric release and monitored alarm systems that prevent a cycle progressing if the cycle parameters are not achieved. Visual inspection is carried out on all containers and routine ATP swabbing and analysis is randomly performed to ensure that the container surfaces are cleaner than the acceptance criteria of the hospital environments they are used in.