Correct medical waste disposal is vital for preventing the spread of certain types of disease. All states in the US have developed comprehensive plans and regulations that ensure that both genera and regulated medical waste are disposed of in accordance to the best medical waste management Delray Beach practices.
These medical waste management regulations apply on to health care facilities like hospitals, clinics and such, but an individual is also encouraged to follow proper medical waste disposal procedures at his home. This especially applies to people who administer needles to themselves , their family member or pets as treatment.
• The following article explains how to dispose of medical waste, while keeping in mind the different medical waste management regulations in states.
General Medical Waste Disposal
Once of the most important things when it comes to medical waste disposal is to set up a collection area where used sharps and tubes for collecting blood and other body liquids can be disposed of safely. Sharps include items such as scalpels, needles, razor blades, syringes (with a needle attached) and other sharp medical instruments. Since these items are designed with the purpose of lacerating or piercing human skin with relative ease, once they are used, they need to be discarded in an appropriate rigid hard-plastic box, called “sharps container”. Once this receptacle is full, the lid needs to be sealed with packaging tape and discarded in red plastic bags, which are used for biohazards. Alternatively, an individual can take them to a sharps collection site at his nearest clinic, pharmacy or fire department.
Used surgical gloves, bandages, sponges and other similar contaminated items first need to be disinfected and then they can be placed in the appropriate medical waste container or bag. Alternatively, many contaminated items, such as bed sheets, can be chemically disinfected and then returned to use.
Regulated Medical Waste Disposal
Regulated medical waste disposal is a bit trickier than general disposal and requires you to follow some very strict procedures.
It includes microbiological and pathological wastes. The first are medical wastes generated in the research laboratory, while the second include human body parts, organs and tissue.
You should set up a collection facility for regulated medical waste. This waste has to be packaged in appropriate plastic bags and then placed in a leak proof drum or box. Make sure to label the box or container with “Medical Waste” or “Infections Waste”.
Storage locations for medical waste can only be accessible to authorized personnel, so keep it inaccessible to everyone else. Also, make sure that the area has enough ventilation, is pest-proof and has a functional drainage system connected with your facility’s sewer or septic system.
There is a lot of work concerning medical waste disposal as you can see, but in the end, it is not only necessary to do it, but also worth knowing that you and your medical waste management are not contributing (in fact you are reducing) the spread of infections and pollution related to Delray Beach medical waste.
