You may have heard it said, “Mistakes are simply learning opportunities in disguise.”
While this pithy statement may be true in many circumstances, biohazard waste disposal is not one such situation! When mistakes are made with medical waste, it can be life and death. This is why it’s essential to prepare and train your staff on the right way to manage red bag items.
Running the Risks of Red Bag Waste
Red bag waste can include any type of solid waste generated during the diagnosis, production, treatment or testing processes. Typically, these items have been contaminated with biological material – like blood – or they may contain potentially infectious materials.
This kind of waste can be produced in tattoo parlors, hospitals, dentist offices, nursing homes, veterinary clinics, or other facilities.
When red bag waste is not appropriately disposed of, the result can be catastrophic for everyone involved. For this reason, when biohazard waste disposal mistakes are made, not only can health risks come into play, but legal ramifications exist, as well.
Avoiding Biohazard Waste Disposal Errors
1. Don’t Trash It
Federal mandates state that bio-hazardous waste – including gowns, gauze, masks, or sharps (scalpels, syringes, needles, etc.), that have come into contact with blood – can never simply be tossed into a trash can. Reason being, it risks unsuspecting individuals, like health professionals, children, or sanitation workers, to be exposed to the contents of the trash bag. Instead, special biohazard bags and containers must be used for the collection and disposal of biohazardous materials. Appropriately certified professional services are then utilized for managing the pick-up and destruction of the contaminated contents. This is the only way to satisfy all state regulations and to meet all federal OSHA and USDOT requirements.
2. Put It Where It Goes
Sharps should never be put into the red bags that gowns or gauze go into. Instead, they should be disposed of in specially designed, puncture-proof sharps containers. These containers should be strategically placed in areas where sharps are most likely to be used. This approach provides an opportunity for immediate disposal of contaminated sharps, and avoids the user having to walk around with the object(s), trying to find an appropriate container. Your medical waste disposal company should work with you to ensure you have the necessary number of appropriate containers to ensure adequate coverage for your location.
3. Abide by the 3/4 Full Rule
Be sure your medical waste disposal company is picking up and replacing your sharps containers on a regular enough schedule that you don’t end up filling the boxes over 3/4 full. This rule may seem to waste seemingly available space. However, the reason this is important is that that once your container has reached the 3/4 full level, you can’t be sure that your needles are laying horizontally in the container. Vertically standing sharp objects pose a danger! Schedule your medical waste disposal company on a regular schedule that is appropriate to the pace that your biohazard waste disposal requires.
4. Know the Regulations
If you are producing biohazard waste material, you are subject to the related established legal guidelines. If you don’t know what these laws are, you should make it a priority to find out and to train your team on them, as well! Your red bag waste disposal company should be a good resource for discovering proper procedures and compliance.
5. Don’t Put Off Compliance!
You may think that adjusting your long-time procedures to abide by the current biohazard and PHI guidelines, is more hassle than it’s worth. However, facing the legal and health ramifications of a failure to comply with these laws would be much, much worse than adding a step or two to your process! If you’re not sure if you’re in compliance – or if you need help getting up-to-date – contact SecureMed, today! Don’t put off getting more information on biohazard waste disposal and learning about the other services available to help protect your business and your bottom line.
Mistakes Could Cost You Dearly
While mistakes may create opportunities for learning lessons, it’s often easier to learn the lesson through less trial and error! Violating medical waste regulations could mean a hefty fine, damage to your reputation, and worse!
Now is the time to partner with a biohazard waste disposal company that can keep you on the straight and narrow. For information about approved collection containers and transportation, maintaining an appropriate paper trail of all infectious waste from pick-up to complete destruction, and remaining in compliance with the many regulations related to biohazard waste disposal and Protected Health Information (PHI) risk management, connect with the experts at SecureMed, today!
