Risks of Improper Medical Waste Collection and Disposal

Medical waste is generated by health care facilities daily and often poses a significant risk to people, animals and the environment. Because of this, medical waste collection and disposal must be a top priority for anyone that generates it. Only this way can those generators ensure that they reduce the risk of infection or other hazard.

How Can Improper Medical Waste Collection Cause Disease Spreading?

Improper medical waste collection can result in the spread of disease in more than one way.

First, it can allow diseased populations to spread disease to other species other than their own. For example, this way the disease could spread from rats to birds and then to some other animals. This happens when the pathogens are introduced in the environment.

A problem such as this can happen because the medical waste has not been treated properly (or treated at all) and the bacteria and viruses have been transported in the waste and discarded in municipal landfills together with the regular waste.

In addition, inappropriate medical waste collection can also allow the disease to spread when the untreated waste is acting as a breeding ground or a food source for pathogens and allowing them to reach for them otherwise impossibly high population.

Normally, humans are in less of a risk to contract a disease from improperly disposed medical waste directly. Indirectly, however, humans could still be affected if they drink water from a source located near the land disposal site where untreated medical waste is sent.

Where to Report Improper Medical Waste Disposal and How to Protect Yourself

Whenever and wherever you happen to witness inappropriate medical waste disposal, you should inform the authorities. By doing this, you are helping limit the pollution and making sure the disease does not spread.

Of course, you should also make sure that you yourself do not suffer ill consequences from improper medical waste management. If you are working in a facility that produces such waste, like a hospital, and have to come in contact with it, always make sure to wear proper personal protection equipment, or PPE. Use disposable gloves and wear a mask and goggles to protect your mouth, nose and eyes from pathogens. Then, when you have completed your task, immediately take off the PPE you were wearing, dispose of it in a biohazard bag, and go and take a shower or thoroughly wash your hands at least.

Do you need a medical waste collection service? Medical Waste Management is a full service company that provides safe management of infectious medical waste in Florida. We offer a complete line of containers, including sharps containers, biohazard bags, reusable containers and liners for collecting medical waste. MWM is fully licensed and insured and you can reach us via our website https://medicalwastefl.com/, email [email protected] or phone number 305-677-2343. Call us today for a FREE QUOTE, no hidden fees!