Importance of Proper Medical Waste Disposal in Brandon and Clearwater, FL

 Health facilities, research laboratories, and clinics, as well as vets’ offices, generate highly infectious waste every day. The authorities need to ensure that there is no exposure to such contaminants. There are multiple regulations to follow when disposing of such waste. Moreover, each step from collection to storage and eventual disposal must comply with the standards recommended by OSHA and EPA. The regulatory authorities recommend using specific color-coded containers for the disposal of hazardous waste. It is thus advisable for such facilities and labs to hire professional companies for waste management and red bag disposal in Brandon and Clearwater, FL.

True, staff in healthcare facilities may be confused about how to store hazardous waste in red bags. It is essential for the staff to be trained in waste management techniques and use the information to store the following in the red bags:

l Items with visible contamination with blood, bodily fluids, or any other potentially infectious materials (OPIM)

l Used gloves, bandages, gauze, test tubes, containers, and drapes

l Plastic tubing and contaminated items

l Specific anatomical waste, such as tissues, organs, bones, and other human or animal remains.

l Specimen swabs and containers tainted with blood or OPIM

Workers at the facilities or labs need to be informed about what should not be stored in these bags. The following items must be thrown elsewhere, such as a regular trash container or OSHA-recommended containers of other colors instead of the red bag:

l All pharmaceutical waste, such as expired medicines, should be stored in a black container.

l Sharp instruments and implements must go into a blue or red rigid container, not a bag.

l All non-contaminated items, such as kitchen waste and household waste, may be treated as regular trash and stored in the garbage bin.

The waste management and disposal team is sure to arrive at the facility at a specified hour every day. The trained team will handle the following, leaving the facility staff to continue with their daily tasks:

Collection & Containment - All visibly contaminated items will be placed in a red bag. Sharp items, such as used knives, scalpels, needles, and broken glass, will be placed in a puncture-resistant, rigid container, which will then be placed inside the bag. The bag should not be filled, however. The professionals will make sure to seal it and place it aside after labeling the bag and warning people around about its contents.

Treatment- The contents of the red bag are transported to an assigned facility for proper treatment that will render them harmless. The contents may be subjected to autoclaving, incineration, chemical disinfection, irradiation, and/or plasma pyrolysis.

Final Disposal- The safe contents of the bag may be disposed of in a designated landfill or used by an energy recovery facility, where they are recycled.

Healthcare facilities and laboratories need to use a licensed waste management and disposal service provider to ensure proper medical waste disposal in Brandon and Clearwater, FL, in compliance with regulatory standards.