Abstract: A method and device (10) is provided for safely removing a needle from the barrel of a syringe and for protectively storing the needle. A housing (16) contains V-shaped jaws (26) which are resiliently hinged, lined with a face of rubber or other gripping material, and biased towards a closed position. The round hub of the needle of a syringe is urged into the mouth (27) of the "V" until it is tight enough for the user to rotate the barrel without the hub and needle moving, thus disconnecting the needle from the syringe. A lever (44) engaging the housing (16) forces the jaws (26) to open, thus dropping the needle from the lid-mounted device into a container beneath.