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DOT Regulations
In the past few years, health care institutions have been improving greatly on the field of medical waste management Hollywood. The understanding that bio-hazardous waste can be dangerous in more than one way yo the health and safety of humans and for the environment aids greatly to this.
However, perhaps the biggest reason why health care facilities are spending so much time, money and effort on bio-hazardous waste management is because of different state and federal regulations that have been put in place in the United States in the last few years.
Today, bio-hazardous waste management of medical facilities is monitored and controlled by a number of government agencies in one way or another. They all either control if hospitals are disposing of their waste properly, provide helpful guidelines to make sure that they use the latest and most effective methods of medical waste disposal and, where necessary, warn and fine those that constitute a threat to public health by improperly disposing of their medical waste.
One field of medical waste management Hollywood that needs particular attention is the transportation of bio-hazardous waste. This is overseen by the United States Department of Transportation (or simply DOT) and it falls under the requirements of Hazardous Materials Transportation Act from 1975.
The HMTA act defines hazardous waste as: “any substance that can burn explode, react violently or cause injury or harm to people, property or the environment during transport.”
Of course, the Department of Transportation has very specific and strict requisites when it comes to transporting bio-hazardous waste.
Labeling of Bio-Hazardous Waste Containers and the Transport Vehicles
How do you know that a bio-hazardous waste is inside a container? Opening each and every bag or container to check what is inside is out of the question. Not only would this be time consuming, but it is also infective and increases the chance of someone getting infected. Even with the the proper PPE, such as puncture-resistant gloves, there is still a chance of getting yourself cut. The answer, instead lies in labeling each waste bag and container with special marking such as the one for biohazards. This way, those that transport and those that later have to handle biohazardous waste in a medical waste management facility will know what they have to do about it.
For transport vehicles themselves, the DOT regulations required them to be marked with placards on the side and the back. These placards are different depending on the type of bio-hazardous waste, so you should consult with your local government and the Hazardous Materials Table in the Hazardous Material Transportation Act to know how to label your vehicles.
Employee Education and Training
Of course, without proper employee training and education on bio-hazardous waste management we cannot expect any part of it, including transportation to be done the right way.
Before they can be allowed to handle and transport Hollywood bio-hazardous waste material, all personnel fist must attend and complete an 8 hour minimum training course approved by the DOT. This covers identification, marking, packaging and placard placement to name just a few things. The employee, after the training course, must also complete a test to show that he fully understands what is required of him.
