Identifying, Understanding, and Disposing of Medical Waste

17 Sep Identifying, Understanding, and Disposing of Medical Waste

Disposing Medical Waste

Medical waste is the inevitable result of the day-to-day practices and procedures of hospitals, laboratories, and other health-related facilities. It’s imperative for produced medical waste to be appropriately handled and disposed of per health laws and regulations; this ensures that the contamination and spread of infectious agents from waste can’t cause harm to medical staff, patients, or the general public. As important as it is to eliminate such medical waste, health-care providers face daily challenges with disposal regarding regulations at the local and state levels, HIPAA, epidemiological concerns, and civil litigations. At Biosecure, the goal is not only to help health-care providers navigate the various hurdles of waste disposal but, furthermore, to lessen their expenses.

Understanding Medical Waste

 While medical waste can easily be understood as the by-product of health-care providers, to understand the scope of medical waste fully, it should be noted that medical waste takes on many different forms. Medical waste can vary anywhere from objects soaked in blood or bodily fluids (gauze, gowns, bedding, etc.), human or animal tissue, lab-cultured Petri dishes of infectious agents, patient waste, glassware, etc. However, not all medical waste is regarded as the same causing for more stringent regulations and higher costs concerning disposal: bio-hazardous waste (items exposed to communicable diseases, bodily fluids, sharps, human tissue) compared to general medical waste such as non-contaminated equipment require different disposal procedures and relative costs.

 Identifying Medical Waste Types

 Outlined below are common waste categories as identified by the World Health Organization:

• Sharps – easily understood as any material that can cut or puncture such as needles, glass tubes, blades, etc.
• Infectious waste – waste such as swabs, bandages, and medical devices that have been contaminated by bodily fluids.
• Radioactive – anything exposed to radioactive diagnostic material or radiotherapeutic material.
• Pharmaceuticals – any expired or unused drugs, injections, and prescriptions
• Pathological – human tissue, organs, blood, bodily fluids, and animal carcasses
• Chemical – chemicals related to solvents and reagents, disinfectants, and heavy metals found in medical devices (mercury from broken thermometers).
• Genotoxic – highly hazardous materials that are mutagenic or carcinogenic, such as cancer treatment drugs.
• General, non-regulated waste – waste without any biological, physical, chemical, or radioactive risks

Disposal Facts and Procedures

 According to the World Health Organization, 85% of medical waste related to health-care activities is considered non-hazardous. Inversely, that means that the other 15% of medical waste stemming from hospitals, labs, mortuaries, blood banks, and research centers are either infectious, radioactive, or toxic. Furthermore, 5.9 million tons of biohazardous waste are produced yearly. Given the sheer quantity of harmful waste, it’s crucial to dispose of waste safely to avoid direct risks to humans but also indirectly as well, via environmental impacts through improper disposal. Incorrectly disposed sharps, such as needles, run the risk of spreading HIV and hepatitis. Untreated medical waste that ends up in landfills can contaminate nearby waters; chemically treated items can have similar effects on the soil. Lastly, incinerated items, if not done correctly, can release pollutants and particulates into the air. 

 There are certain risks and costs associated with disposing medical waste. Often, on-site disposal of waste at hospitals and other facilities is too costly, and off-site disposals rely on fully knowledgeable and competent waste service providers. At BioSecure Waste Solutions, we not only know the health-care laws and regulations and the proper classifications of waste disposal, but we have also designed an approach that lowers client cost while recycling medical waste into environmentally friendly energy. With BioSecure, we’re looking at waste as an alternative energy source to offset the cost and environmental impacts perpetrated by other medical waste providers.