Frequently Asked Questions

At Daniels Healthcare, we pride ourselves on exceptional customer service. We are focussed on making your life easier when it comes to our products and services.

These are some of the most common questions that we receive, and their answers.

If you are not able to find the answer to your question, our Customer Support and Sales team’s are always on hand to offer you friendly and personal assistance. You can get in touch with them using the Find your representative or Contact pages.

Full Container Collections

The provision for collections of full containers can vary depending on where the sharps waste is produced, one of the following questions will guide you to the correct route for disposal

I am from a business, how can I arrange collection of my full sharps container?

As the manufacturer we are not involved in waste disposal. You would be best to contact your supplier as you may have a contract with them. Alternatively you will need to speak with whoever your waste contract is with for further advice.

I am from a residential address, how can I arrange collection of my full sharps container?

If you have a medical condition, such as diabetes, and use needles to self-medicate at home, the NHS guidance states that your local council is responsible for collecting your full sharps bin. Please read more in our post about this here –

Advice: How to dispose of a full sharps container

I work in a hospital, how can I arrange collection of our full sharps container?

As the manufacturer we are not involved in waste disposal. You would be best to contact your Waste Manager within the Trust, they will share the processes and routes for disposal within your hospital.

Product Training and Support

As part of of our package for you, when you choose Daniels, is the industry leading training and value-added support you receive from us, here are some of the questions we are asked day to day

I work in infection control and would like to ensure my Trust is using sharps as safely as possible to protect staff, patient and visitors. Can you offer any support with this?

Yes! To support our customers in meeting all the latest sharps-related regulations, we offer a free Sharps Compliance Audit. During our audits, we check that best practice is being followed and highlight any potential non-compliance. In addition, we then provide appropriate training to teams, or on a 1:1 basis, to help address any gaps. Contact your local area representative for how we can help you.

I’d really like some posters about sharps to put up at the point of disposal. Do you have anything we can use?

Yes! We have a wide range of resources which are free to download and use in your setting on our Training Materials page.

What do the different lid colours mean on the Daniels sharps containers?

All of our SHARPSGUARD® containers and lids are colour co-ordinated for good reason. The kinds of waste that you need to dispose of are all very different and need to be handled differently.
The Department of Health’s HTM07-01 Safe management of healthcare waste guidance document outlines the colour-coded system, which ensures that the person handling the sharp knows exactly which container or bin to use. This short video explains the system in a clear and concise manner: click here for the video.

What is a temporary and final closure on your sharps containers?

Sharps containers are designed with the users safety in mind, each with a temporary and final closure position.
The temporary closure, must be used in-between uses of the container.
The final closure, is the permanent closure when the container is finished and ready for disposal.

Please see the instructions on the label of how to engage both the temporary and final closure positions.

Can I transport sharps containers in my vehicle?

If the sharps container is full and in the final locked closure position, it is UN3291 compliant and you can carry it in your vehicle.
However if the container is still in use, in its temporary closure, you must transport this in a UN3291 approved container, like our Nursing Container from our Transport container range.

How long should a sharps container be in use for?

The NICE guidelines suggest that a container should be in use for 3 months, after this time they should be locked and replaced. If you find you are having to dispose of sharps containers before they are full please speak with your area representative to discuss suitable alternatives.

Ordering from Daniels

When placing orders with us, these are the main questions that we receive from our customers. If you have a question about a specific order or you would like a quote, please get in touch with our Customer Support team

How do I order brackets and trays?

You can order brackets and trays directly with the customer support team. Please let us know which trays and brackets you require by visiting our POUDS® product page, email us with the product, quantity needed, along with the full delivery address and a member of our team will arrange for some to be sent to you free of charge.

 

How do I qualify for free delivery?

To qualify for free delivery your order must be over £300. Orders under this threshold will incur a £25 transport charge.

Is there a minimum order quantity?

Our customers ordinarily order enough to fill a pallet. This helps us to manage our logistics, transport and spacing better to keep ti our sustainability promise. If you have a small order, you can consider ordering from one of our distributors who can take smaller orders. Contact our customer support team who may be able to direct you to the best route for ordering.

What is your delivery lead times?

Our standard delivery lead times are 7 to 10 working days. For large orders outside normal ordering patterns we will get in contact with you to agree a delivery schedule.

Where can I find NHS Supply Chain’s ordering codes?

You can find the NHS Supply Chain’s codes on our individual product pages, under the short description there is a box that shows the Daniels order codes and if it is stocked by NHS Supply Chain you will see their product code there also.

Waste Segregation Information and Guidance

The benefits of correct waste segregation include cost savings and reducing our impact to the environment. You can find the full range of our products on our product pages, these are the common questions we are asked on this topic

What do the different lid colours mean on the Daniels sharps containers?

All of our SHARPSGUARD® containers and lids are colour co-ordinated for good reason. The kinds of waste that you need to dispose of are all very different and need to be handled differently.
The Department of Health’s HTM07-01 Safe management of healthcare waste guidance document outlines the colour-coded system, which ensures that the person handling the sharp knows exactly which container or bin to use. This short video explains the system in a clear and concise manner: click here for the video.

Do you have containers for the disposal of Category A waste?

Yes, we have three types of container. The most cost effective solution is the WIVA™ 60L with a solid when used with two UN approved bulk clinical waster bags. We also have the Vanguard and Medprotec620 containers available. Please contact your local area representative for more information on how we can help you.

Regulations and Guidance

SHARPSGUARD® & WIVA™ sharps and clinical waste containers are enhanced to enable compliance with the requirements of different regulations and guidance, Daniels ensure that you and our products comply with the most up to-date legislation

What do the different lid colours mean on the Daniels sharps containers?

All of our SHARPSGUARD® containers and lids are colour co-ordinated for good reason. The kinds of waste that you need to dispose of are all very different and need to be handled differently.
The Department of Health’s HTM07-01 Safe management of healthcare waste guidance document outlines the colour-coded system, which ensures that the person handling the sharp knows exactly which container or bin to use. This short video explains the system in a clear and concise manner: click here for the video.

Can I get copies of your certificates and policies for my records?

Yes. You can download our current versions of certificates and policies from our Policy & Certificates downloads page

How long should a sharps container be in use for?

The NICE guidelines suggest that a container should be in use for 3 months, after this time they should be locked and replaced. If you find you are having to dispose of sharps containers before they are full please speak with your area representative to discuss suitable alternatives.

Are your containers compliant to UN3291?

Our SHARPSGUARD® and WIVA™ sharps and clinical waste containers are compliant to packaging performance UN3291. This information is prominently on the labels of the products.

Do your containers comply with the Department of Health’s Safe Management of Healthcare Waste (HTM07-01) guidance?

Yes. The SHARPSGUARD® sharps containers have a predominantly yellow base with colour coded lids and labels in line with HTM07-01 waste segregation guidance.

How can you help me comply with the EU Directive 2010/32 ‘prevention from sharps injuries in the hospital and healthcare environments’?

Our POUDS® range (point of use disposal system) allows you to safely situate our sharps and clinical waste containers at the point of use to help you comply with EU Directive 2010/32 ‘prevention from sharps injuries in the hospital and healthcare environments’.

We also have a range of posters that can be situated at the point of use, these can be downloaded free of charge on our Training Materials page

Do you have a container compliant to UN3549?

Our 60 litre WIVA™ container with a solid lid, when used with two UN approved bulk clinical waste bags which meets the requirement for UN3549 Category A Waste.

Residential Users

Whilst home users do not receive their containers directly from us at Daniels, we are often asked and we want to to be as helpful as possible to navigate the usage and disposal of our containers. If you have further questions, please get in touch with the organisation who issued your container

Do you have usage and safety information for your sharps containers?

We have this helpful leaflet for home users that share usage and safety information for our containers? To download this click here

I am from a residential address, how can I arrange collection of my full sharps container?

If you have a medical condition, such as diabetes, and use needles to self-medicate at home, the NHS guidance states that your local council is responsible for collecting your full sharps bin. Please read more in our post about this here –

Advice: How to dispose of a full sharps container

How do I go on holiday with a sharps container?

With a doctor’s letter in hand, there should be no problem boarding with your medications and needles & Syringes. However, it is worth checking the airline policy before you travel and phoning them up to make sure if you are concerned. Cabin crew may request medication be handed over for storage during the flight. Read more in our post about this here –

Advice: Travelling with sharps

The sharps container I receive on prescription is not the right size?

There is a limited range of containers available by prescription, of the SHARPSGUARD® range there is the 1L & 5L sizes, talk to your GP or healthcare provider for information about getting other sizes.