According to OSHA, when should you recap and remove the needle from a cartridge?

• A. When it's contaminated
• B. After every use
• C. Before starting work
• D. When the client complains

Answer: (A)

The main idea is preventing exposure to contaminated sharps during handling and disposal. OSHA emphasizes careful control of used needles to reduce the risk of needle-stick injuries. In the specific scenario where a needle has become contaminated while attached to a cartridge, recapping the needle is the controlled step used to contain the contamination and protect the worker during removal from the cartridge. Once recapped, you can safely detach the needle and dispose of it according to your facility’s sharps protocol. Recapping isn’t a routine step after every use or something done before starting work, and it isn’t prompted by a client’s complaint; those situations don’t align with the goal of minimizing exposure during handling.