At BioSecure, we understand that the sheer number of regulations and stipulations (Federal, State and Local) can be very overwhelming as it pertains to Medical/Hazardous Waste Disposal. Besides Federal, state and local regulations, the American Veterinary Medical Association urges practices to engage in sound, reasonable, sustainable and safe processes when it comes to medical waste. According to the AVMA the correct disposal plan for your veterinary medical waste will have a beneficial impact on the environment, the veterinary profession, and the health and wellbeing of your patients and their owners.
Treating your patients (animals) naturally creates medical waste and hazardous byproducts; these waste items must be disposed of in a safe way that complies with all government regulations.
Some examples of medical waste generated by Veterinary Clinics:
- Infectious agents, cultures and culture medium
- Organic tissues from labs
- Animal waste
- Animal remains
- Drugs and chemical solutions
- Chemical solutions
- Blood products
- Solid waste including contaminated gloves, towels and pipettes
- Liquid waste, including mediums, blood and bodily fluids
- Sharps waste including needles scalpels, slides and syringes
- Disinfectants
Properly disposing of the waste created in your practice allows you to protect the animals and people you serve; it also allows you to protect your local eco-system. The right disposal methods also ensure you remain in compliance with all regulations; although Veterinary Clinics serve animals, not people, they still need to comply with many of the same regulations as a medical care facility. Whether you run an emerging practice or a multi-office, established brand, BioSecure can assist.
To avoid hefty fines, it’s vital that veterinary clinics dispose of their medical waste in a compliant, safe manner. When it comes to the disposal of infectious waste, the Department of Natural Resources doesn’t mess around. If you’re caught in violation of any of their Federal/State and or Local medical waste disposal laws, you could get served with a fine of up to $25,000 per violation, per day!
And that’s where BioSecure comes in. With our all-inclusive, comprehensive solutions, our goal is to assist and minimize any exposure, while at the same time, provide our clients with a “best in the class” level of service, accountability and dedication.
3 Tips for Compliant Veterinarian Waste Disposal
- Properly package waste–You must store and transport your medical waste in containers that meet the Department of Transportation’s requirements. Primarily, this involves using rigid containers that are leak-proof, tamper-proof, spill-proof, puncture-resistant and reusable.
- Manifest waste destruction–The entire process of storing and destroying waste must be transparent to the DNR. All waste must be manifested from its transportation to destruction, in a process called “cradle to grave” manifestation. When using BioSecure, we will provide you a manifest copy proving the material was picked up, where it was transported, and later verifying it was properly destroyed.
- Properly transport waste–Transporting more than 50 pounds of medical waste requires a permit. However, applying for this permit is costly and requires lengthy training classes. For this reason, most waste producers outsource their medical waste disposal to BioSecure.
The freedom that comes from knowing your medical waste disposal needs are covered starts with a single phone call. Our scalable and affordable solutions grow as you do and offer you the best in service, accountability, safety and convenience.
Please contact us today to get peace of mind about your veterinary medical waste disposal and to begin focusing your energy where it belongs – on your patients and your practice.