Healthcare waste is expect to increase due to the growth in global populations and access to medical treatment.
The most important reasons for optimising healthcare waste management include the legal duty of care, in order to less environmental impacts, for the safety and health of staff and to cost of living.
Medical waste is generate by various facilities, particularly in the healthcare sector. Because it is contaminate and contains infective components this is one of the more difficult types of wastes to eliminate.
This is why you should utilise this guide to dispose of medical waste to ensure you are up-to-date with the management of medical waste disposal and to avoid being affected by HIPAA laws or lawsuits.
What Exactly Is Medical Waste?
Medical waste is a kind of healthcare waste management that comes by the science or medical sector. According to a study from 2019 in the US alone generates greater than 5.9 million tonnes of medical waste every year.
This is just the medical waste originating from hospitals. How is this classify? Waste is classify as “medical waste” in the event that it is contaminated with or is derive from at least one of these:
- Anything that is produced from a room of a patient within the facility.
- Petri dishes are filled with varieties of viruses or bacteria.
- Every piece of hospital equipment that is wet, drenched, or has blood.
- Tissue that comes from humans or animals
Different Types Of Medical Waste
Infectious Waste – They are derived from laboratory facilities in hospitals that could be contaminated with infectious diseases.
Pharmaceutical waste – In addition to expired medicines, antibiotics and similar drugs the same applies to expired and tainted vaccines.
Radioactive Waste – generally, this kind of waste is produced by liquids for radiotherapy. Also, anything that comes into contact with this kind of liquid needs to be remove.
Pathological Waste – Pathological Waste any kind of contaminated organs or body parts of animals like organs, tissues organs, organs or bodily fluids.
SEPA Medical Waste Series: Importance Of Colour Coding
Proper disposal of medical waste is a major issue that impacts the medical establishments, hospitals and a variety of other industries.
To stop the spread of illness ensure that you are in compliance with the guidelines by the government. To ensure that the public and the surrounding environment remain protect, it’s essential to dispose of medical waste of in a responsible manner.
Alongside having a professional waste disposal service to take care of the disposal of waste, there are also steps that are in place to keep waste separate and identifiable to be process and properly destroy.
This is also know as medical waste segregation, and it is do using containers that are colour code for collection. In this month’s blog series we’ll look into the colour-coding system that is employ for handling medical waste and the requirements that each container needs to include.
Here’s A Quick Overview:
Red Biohazard:
Contrary to the red container that is use to store sharps in, the dark red colour is use for biohazardous waste such as IV tubing, blood, as well as other waste that is infectious.
Yellow:
The symbol for radioactivity is not attach on the containers; those containers can be use to trace amounts of chemo that are transfer from vials into gloves and gowns.
Black:
The bins are mark with RCRA labels and are utilise to dispose of hazardous chemicals such as bulk chemo and dangerous meds.
Blue:
It is utilise for non-hazardous drugs like pills as well as other kinds of drugs.
By working with medical facilities, safe management of healthcare waste disposal companies are able to make sure that environmental and public health dangers are eliminated and all compliance requirements are met.
What Is The Procedure For Medical Waste Disposed Of?
Medical waste must be properly labeled and separate to be disposed of. It is require to it according to federal or state procedures.
The method of disposal for hazardous waste or sharps is different from the general waste. Medical waste can have dangerous consequences if exposed.
It is therefore important to follow the proper medical waste disposal procedures in accordance with the guidelines of your state or federal government.
What Is The Most Safe Way To Dispose Of Medical Waste?
Medical waste is usually separated into different containers for later collection and disposal. The most commonly used method of disposal is to burn it.
General medical waste is able to be dispose of in a garbage dump like regular garbage. Incineration is effective in eliminating infectious or hazardous medical waste. It also decreases the amount of waste.
This method, however, can release toxic pollutants into the air. It could be harmful to health and the environment. Incorrect treatment or burning of waste in the wrong way can cause harm to people as well as the environment.
Certain kinds of chemical waste may emit carcinogenic fumes. The disadvantages of this process make it unsustainable and impractical for the near future. Modern technology allows medical establishments to manage clinical waste bag safely on site.
The components in an exposure control Plan
An exposure Control Plan is an essential document for hospitals and healthcare establishments. It reduces the risk for employees of being expose to fluids that are infectious, chemicals and bloodborne pathogens.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). To be OSHA certified, the parts that make up an exposure Control Plan must be:
A written document specifically for your facility
Updated each year or when any technology changes occur.
Technologies and devices should be readily be available to limit exposure of employees to potentially infectious substances
All employees are eligible for this offer.
Employees must be well-versed in the steps on the Exposure Control Plan. Sharps containers as well as other bins for clinical waste bin collection are an essential component of a successful exposure control strategy.
If employees are exposed to infectious waste, the first steps to help should be taken. Next step would be to conduct a thorough medical examination and test. The incident needs to be documented in order for changes to make to the existing strategy.
Final Disposal Of Biomedical Waste
Treatment Off-Site
A site that receives biomedical waste from a different site is required to abide the regulations of Regulation 347 (General – Waste Management)
Part V EPA which includes it being required that the establishment have an approved certificate that authorises the handling of waste, as well as any other laws applicable to it.
Transport For The Final Disposal
Before removing clinical waste bins that has been treated and leaving a facility to be disposed of for final disposal at a facility, the operator of the facility must take the following steps:
Write a letter to the person who manages the disposal facility where the waste will be disposed of, stating the amount of waste as well as the approximate date of the time of its arrival.
Send a written notice to the transporter of the waste, confirming that all waste included in the container has be properly handled.
A transporter of biomedical waste that has be treat or not should be able to transport the waste as direct as possible to its disposal facility without the use transfer stations, or any other intermediary sites. Any other waste cannot be transported by vehicles that contain untreated or treat biomedical waste.
Land Disposal For Treated Biomedical Waste
Biomedical waste that has to be treated must be disposed of for disposal in an Ontario disposal facility that has an acceptable certificate of approval issued by Part V EPA.
The disposal of trash should be monitored by the owner of the facility or a person appointed by the site person in charge of this.
When the waste is placed on the site, an adequate amount of materials or waste should be placed over it in order to stop direct contact between the site machines and the trash.
