Whether you’re a hospital, doctor’s office, or local dentist, generating waste is a reality in the medical field. To provide the safest care for patients and staff, many instruments and tools used in healthcare settings are only used once. These instruments or devices should not be disposed of in the regular garbage. They are potential infectious and should be treated as if they are and disposed of in regulated medical waste containers to keep everyone safe and healthy. If infectious materials gets into public waste streams, it puts the community and the environment at risk. To help prevent these risks, it’s important for any facility generating medical waste, that proper procedures and tools are in place for disposing of medical waste. Here are some best practices for disposing of your medical waste.
Medical Waste Containers
Medical waste containers are generally labeled with the biohazard symbol and identifiable in the healthcare industry. This helps simplify the process and takes the guesswork out of knowing which receptacles may contain potentially infectious waste. There are various medical waste container types available for different needs, for example, disposable sharps containers, which are hard plastic puncture-proof containers used for needles and other sharp objects. Sharps should always be placed in a sharps container for final disposal and never directly into a bag or medical waste container first.
Labeling and Packaging
Different types of medical waste also require different labeling and packaging. This is because the different waste types may need to be handled and disposed of differently. Pathology waste, infectious waste, chemotherapy waste, and biohazardous waste all require different labels. These are examples of medical waste types that should all be handled differently. Managing your medical waste labeling and packaging keeps you compliant and your staff and patients safe.
Detailed Documentation
Proper documentation of medical waste disposal is essential. Many regulatory agencies require documentation each time your medical waste is disposed of to assure you’re compliant with all local, state, and federal guidelines. This not only protects the healthcare provider, but also the medical waste disposal company since documentation is required for transporting regulated waste. All containers should be documented with the appropriate paperwork throughout its transport.
Employing a Trusted Professional
After keeping your medical waste managed in proper containers, labelled and packaged correctly, and accompanied with detailed documentation, the last piece of the puzzle is partnering with a reputable medical waste disposal company. Proper disposal of your biohazardous or infectious waste keeps everyone safe. Partner with a disposal company you can trust helps make your job a little easier and ease of knowing it’s been disposed of in a compliant manor. A good medical waste disposal partner will understand and adhere to all local, state, and federal regulatory requirements when it comes to medical waste, including handling, transporting, and disposal.
At Larson-Miller, we take pride in our 35 years of experience in managing medical waste for generators of all kinds and all sizes. We are the trusted medical waste disposal partner throughout Idaho, Utah, and Oregon with a flawless compliance record always adhering to all local, state, and federal regulatory regulations. Contact us today to discuss how we can partner to help manage your medical waste, (208) 323-7272 or (801) 738-6545.