Best Practices for Medical Hazardous Waste Disposal

A healthcare facility might have many different medical hazardous waste disposal containers within each patient room, but they aren’t effective when they’re handled inappropriately. Both medical and hazardous waste professionals must use specific rules when handling these containers. In most regions, professionals use best practices when dealing with medical waste disposable methods.

Begin with Employee Education

Best practices for medical waste disposable methods starts with healthcare workers. On a daily basis, workers access disposal containers several times. They must know which items belong to certain containers and how to safely open them. Ideally, monthly or quarterly safety meetings should be conducted so everyone understands disposal basics. Some employees need a refresher course, so that they can remember the best practices that are in place. Every medical facility works with different patients, including varying levels of disease severity.

Quality Container Care for Proper Medical Hazardous Waste Disposal

Waste containers should never be dropped or tossed. In fact, most containers are bolted to walls, counters or floors. If anyone encounters a container that has a crack or other damage, it must be reported to the disposal company. The container should be removed and replaced before it can be used again. Fluids, tissues and other items can easily slip out of a damaged container and harm nearby patients or workers.

Transfer Protocols Enforced

Disposal employees must follow best practices to safely transfer waste out of a facility. Some containers are removed as locked items, for example. They should only be opened at the disposal company’s building. In contrast, other containers hold less dangerous items. Soiled linens, for instance, may be removed at the medical facility and taken into a disposal vehicle for treatment.

Proper Transport Rules

When disposal employees have filled their vehicle with waste, they must transport it by using strict rules. Every waste container must be secured within the vehicle. No items should be able to fall out of their respective holders. Waste cannot contaminate the transport vehicle. The driver takes a certain route through the city so that there are few bumps or turns that can damage containers.

Patients are welcome to point out any concerns with medical hazardous waste disposal processes if they notice unusual practices. The healthcare facility may have a new employee who isn’t well-versed on medical waste disposable methods. When everyone remains observant about waste disposal the community benefits with healthy caregivers and stellar patient care.