Tips For Biowaste Removal in Hillsborough County and Orange County, FL

 Healthcare facilities use sharp implements regularly. While most relate the term sharps with needles, it is essential to understand that any sharp implement, including broken glass, is capable of piercing the skin and drawing blood. The needles used for diagnostic tests, as well as the scalpel used to perform surgeries, are contaminated with the patient’s bodily fluids, such as blood, pus, and vomit, as well as excreta sourced from the urinary system. The facilities need to segregate such contaminated sharps and store them in OSHA or FDA-recommended containers before ensuring proper sharps container disposal in Hillsborough County and Orange County, FL.

It is not surprising that such sharp implements may be used in other facilities as well. Hiring the services of a licensed company noted for all types of hazard disposal, including sharps containers that are filled regularly at select facilities, is a must to ensure compliance with regulatory standards and keep visitors, staff, guests, and patients safe from health risks.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends using the right container for sharps storage and proper disposal. Failure to meet the regulations can result in the spread of communicable diseases and increase the risk of injury for the handler. The following implements used by doctors and other health care professionals are usually termed sharps that need to be segregated from other waste and stored in specific containers:

· Scalpels

· Auto-injectors

· Infusion sets

· Syringes

· Needles

· Connection needles

· Lancets

· Trocars

· Empty or broken ampoules

· Broken, rigid plastic

· Butterflies

· Culture slides and dishes

Since sharps are usually disposed of with the container, the concerned facility needs to be well aware of the container that may be used to store the sharps. It suffices to know that the container must be made out of strong, puncture-resistant plastic. The FDA advises using specific red-colored containers for storage of contaminated sharps. It is important to go through the FDA’s official website to learn the rules of using other types of containers for the same purpose.

Disposing of the sharps and other biohazards should not be a challenge for healthcare facilities, laboratories, pharmacies, and/or schools. It helps to engage a reputed company to remove the filled sharps containers and disposing them in compliance with the regulatory standards. The trained personnel who arrive at the facilities to remove the containers are sure to be well-adapted to the process and aware of the rules. Spotting anything out of the ordinary is sure to be rectified before carrying out the disposal process.

Another aspect of sharps storage is to decide the right time for disposal. It helps to be informed that filling the container to the brim is a strict no-no. Instead, the concerned facility should place the right label on the container when it is three-quarters full.

The professionals also provide services related to biowaste removal in Hillsborough County and Orange County, FL, which must be disposed of according to local, state, and federal standards.