To help you manage your medical waste, we’ll be reviewing many different types of it.
If your company is creating medical waste, you need to know all of the different kinds of waste you generate. Around 15% of waste that is created in the healthcare industry can be classified as medical waste, and you have to handle it with care. If you don’t handle medical waste the right way, people can get sick, and your business could face hefty lawsuits and fines. To help you manage your medical waste, we’ll be reviewing many different types of it.
Contaminated Sharps Waste
This category includes sharp objects such as syringes, scalpels, broken glass with blood on it, and needles. Sharps encompass all objects that are capable of penetrating through skin, and they are particularly dangerous because breaking through skin is their intention.
To control them, they need to be placed in sharps-disposal containers that are approved by the FDA. In addition, you will need secondary packaging that follows either USPS or DOT guidelines. This secondary packaging helps with transporting the materials safely.
Anatomical and Pathological Waste
This class of medical waste covers tissues, organs, and body parts that were removed as part of surgery. Sometimes, it includes tissue that is removed for studying. More specifically, anatomical waste includes any human body parts and organs that are recognizable. You need to package this waste and label it to be incinerated. You can get your medical waste transporter to help you get the right PATH labels, which help keep your waste separate from everything else and allow it to be treated and disposed of appropriately.
Microbiological Waste
This type of medical waste is often created in lab settings. This category covers biologicals, stocks, cultures, and microorganisms. If cultures or other materials get contaminated by this type of medical waste, those materials will also be classified as microbiological waste. This kind of waste, depending on infectious agents, might have to be autoclaved by the generators before it gets sent away to be treated and disposed. Your medical waste transporter may also need more labeling for waste like this, similar to pathological waste.
Animal Waste
This type of medical waste includes bedding, carcasses, and body parts of animals that have zoonotic diseases or that have suffered exposure to pathogens in the midst of research. Waste like this should be managed like infectious waste and be disposed of in a similar manner.
For sharps used to help treat animals, many states will ask that you manage and treat them as sharps waste.
If you have any non-infectious body parts or carcasses of animals, you have to manage them in accordance with whatever regulations are in your state.
Choose AEG Environmental as Your Medical Waste Management Company
Our team can handle any type of waste you put in front of us. Don’t risk your safety and health! If you need to handle medical wastes, call us today and get the best waste management services available!