Final answer:
A medical assistant should place a sharps container in areas where there is a potential for sharps to be used, such as medical procedure rooms, laboratories, and patient examination areas. The sharps container should be easily accessible to medical personnel and should be placed in a location that minimizes the risk of accidental needlesticks or injuries.
Step-by-step explanation:
In locations where there is a chance that sharps will be utilized, such as exam rooms, labs, and medical procedure rooms, a medical assistant should set up a sharps container. Medical staff should have easy access to the sharps container, and it should be positioned to reduce the possibility of unintentional needlestick accidents or injuries.
To ensure safe disposal of needles and other sharp objects immediately after use, for instance, the sharps container in a medical procedure room should be placed within the healthcare provider's arm's reach. The sharps container in a lab should be positioned close to workstations where there's a good chance that sharps will be utilized, like by tissue culture hoods or microscopes.
Following OSHA regulations and guidelines ensures the safe disposal of sharps and helps prevent the transmission of bloodborne pathogens.