5 Ways to Avoid Medical Waste Mistakes

5 Ways to Avoid Medical Waste Mistakes

Train

5 Ways to Avoid Medical Waste Mistakes. Train your staff. Ensuring your staff understand the federal and local laws regarding the disposal of medical waste will avoid compromising the health and safety of patients, customers, staff and the environment, avoid fines, and reduce disposal costs. If you generate medical waste, you are responsible to ensure your staff and organization are compliant with laws and procedures. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the best medical waste management companies offer training resources.

Contain

Contain your medical waste in approved, segregated containers. Containers must be leak-proof, tamper-proof, spill-proof, and puncture-resistant. They must meet the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) requirements for rigid containers.

Refrain

Refrain from mixing medical waste incorrectly. Basic segregation of infectious, biohazardous, pathological, sharps, and regulated medical waste at the point of origin will reduce health risks and the cost of handling and disposal.

Maintain

Maintain proper medical waste records. As a regulated medical waste generator, you are responsible and liable for the handling of that waste in compliance with federal and state regulations.

A uniform hazardous waste manifest contains information on the type and quantity of the waste being transported, instructions for handling the waste, and signature lines for all parties involved in the process of “cradle to grave.” This ensures critical accountability in the disposal process. A copy of the manifest is returned to the generator, confirming that the waste has been received at the disposal facility.

Obtain

Obtain a medical waste transporter that is authorized and compliant with transporting and disposing of medical waste offsite. They must be in compliance with guidelines and regulations jointly provided by the EPA and the DOT, including strict requirements for transporting, storing and disposing of medical waste.

As a professional medical organization, you need to focus your attention on serving your patients and customers and not need to worry about how your medical waste is being transported. Finding the right transporter is crucial in fulfilling your legal and ethical responsibilities, as well as offering peace of mind.

BioWaste LLC provides comprehensive medical waste solutions to clients throughout Middle Tennessee. To learn more, please give us a call at 866-950-7643 or complete the form on this page.