Healthcare facilities generate significant hazardous waste that requires proper handling, storage, transportation, and disposal to minimize risks to human health and the environment. Improper disposal can lead to severe consequences such as disease outbreaks, environmental contamination, and legal penalties.
Hazardous materials are essential in healthcare for diagnostic testing, disinfection, sterilization, and medical procedures. However, materials like infectious waste, radioactive isotopes, and toxic chemicals pose dangers if not properly contained and disposed of.
Mishandling hazardous healthcare waste violates regulations like the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Facilities can face substantial fines, lawsuits, license suspensions, and even criminal charges for non-compliance. This makes proper disposal a critical risk management issue.
Improperly disposed healthcare waste can contaminate soil and water supplies with harmful pathogens, radioactive particles, pharmaceutical residues, and chemicals. This threatens wildlife while also increasing risks to communities relying on local water sources and agriculture. Syringes, needles, and medical debris carelessly discarded pose physical risks to waste management workers and the public.
Learn why professional healthcare environmental services play a pivotal role in safely handling and disposing of medical waste.
While it’s easy to understand that unsafe materials and byproducts must be disposed of, knowing the disposal processes is more complex. Let’s discuss the best ways healthcare environmental services providers can handle the problematic materials.
Chemical disinfection, such as chlorine solutions, can treat liquid hazardous healthcare waste like blood, microbiological cultures, or dialysis waste. A sufficient chlorine concentration and contact time is required to neutralize pathogens. Chemical residues require proper disposal.
Autoclaving uses pressurized steam to decontaminate infectious waste and render it inert. Common autoclaved medical waste includes gowns, drapes, gloves, laboratory waste, and surgical equipment. Air emissions and liquid discharges from autoclaves require treatment before release.
Incineration is a standard method for disposing of infectious hospital waste. Incinerators operate at very high temperatures, which destroys pathogens and reduces waste volume. However, incineration can generate air pollutants, so healthcare facilities must use EPA-approved incinerators with air pollution controls.
Let’s examine some of the categories of hazardous materials that healthcare environmental services providers must consider when sanitizing hospital settings.
Any waste contaminated with bodily fluids, pathogens, or biological agents is considered biohazardous. This includes blood products, cultures, sharps, pathology samples, and anatomical parts. Autoclaving, chemical disinfection, and incineration treat and destroy infectious agents in the waste.
Discarded solvents, reagents, preservatives, and cleaning solutions classified as toxic, flammable, corrosive, or reactive make up the chemical waste stream. Special precautions are required in handling and disposal to avoid spills, minimize occupational exposure, and comply with pollution regulations.
Expired, unused, or contaminated pharmaceuticals, including pills, liquids, ointments, and intravenous solutions, are hazardous due to toxicity concerns and the risk of drug diversion. Incineration at high temperatures is the preferred disposal method.
Any material contaminated with radioisotopes used in imaging, treatments, and laboratory tests must be isolated and shielded until radiation decays to safe levels. Low-level radioactive waste is disposed of in designated facilities to prevent radiation exposure.
Let’s examine established best practices to ensure your healthcare environmental services comply with industry regulations and established laws.
Hazardous waste must be segregated by hazard class in closable, leak-proof containers with biohazard labels identifying contents. Sharps require puncture-proof containers. Storage areas must restrict access to authorized staff only.
Personnel handling hazardous materials should complete training on risks, procedures, protective equipment, and emergency response. Periodic refresher courses reinforce safe protocols. Clear, accessible policies and protocols remind staff of proper waste handling.
Transport of hazardous waste requires certified haulers following documented chain-of-custody procedures. Waste must be inventoried, packaged, and labeled according to regulations. Vehicles and containers should prevent spills or radiation exposure during transport.
Facilities must implement emergency plans addressing accidental spills or exposures. This includes spill kits with protective gear, instructions, supplies for containment, and decontamination. Employees should undergo drills to respond to hazardous material incidents.
Properly managing healthcare hazardous waste is crucial for protecting public and environmental health. Following healthcare environmental services best practices reduces safety risks for patients, staff, and communities.
Let’s focus on strategies for your organization to be more eco-friendly and sustainable.
Healthcare facilities should implement policies to reduce their hazardous waste volumes safely. Strategies include increased personal protective equipment to minimize contaminated waste, judicious use of disinfectants, switching to reusable sharps containers, and purchasing inventory chemicals in only necessary quantities.
Some hazardous healthcare wastes may be recyclable. For example, lead and depleted uranium can be recovered from radiation shielding. Unused, expired, non-controlled pharmaceuticals may be safely donated or incinerated with energy recovery. Recycling programs require careful planning to avoid contamination.
Keeping hazardous medical waste segregated from general waste is critical. Hazardous waste should be sorted by hazard class and placed in proper receptacles at the point of generation. Clear labeling and management reduce treatment costs and accidental exposures or spills.
For the safe disposal of hazardous waste from your healthcare facility, contact ERN Services.
ERN Services is a nationwide network of environmental services professionals committed to upholding the safest cleaning, sterilizing, disinfecting, and waste management practices for over 20 years. Reach out today to discuss your healthcare facility’s needs.
https://ernservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Making-the-Transition-to-Travel-Nursing-From-a-Career-as-a-Staff-Nurse.jpg
1250
2000
Abstrakt Marketing
/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ERN-Logo.svg
Abstrakt Marketing2024-01-05 07:53:072024-04-27 13:47:59Making the Transition to Travel Nursing From a Career as a Staff Nurse
https://ernservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Take-a-Look-at-a-Day-in-the-Life-of-Someone-With-a-Travel-Nurse-Career.jpg
1250
2000
Abstrakt Marketing
/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ERN-Logo.svg
Abstrakt Marketing2024-01-05 07:35:392024-04-27 13:47:59Take a Look at a Day in the Life of Someone With a Travel Nurse Career
https://ernservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Two-nurses-in-room-wtih-patient.jpg
1250
2000
Abstrakt Marketing
/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ERN-Logo.svg
Abstrakt Marketing2024-01-02 07:27:232024-04-27 13:47:59What to know about the 2024 Nurse Residency
Infection Prevention and Control: How Environmental Services Play a Key Rol...