5 Common Mistakes People Make with Medical Waste

Environment Services

 The possibilities for blunders are unlimited. A busy nurse permits a sharps container to pass through the fill line. A housekeeper gathers an infectious patient's filthy bedding in her arms without gloves or a mask. A doctor, overburdened by a continual stream of patients, dumps an administered vaccine syringe into a trashcan since the sharps container is full. The janitor drops a single red biohazard bag into the "regular" garbage bin, where it quickly vanishes behind other trash bags.


What might go wrong? One syringe in the garbage won't matter, right? One small red biohazard bag in a large non-hazardous garbage container isn't such a big issue, is it? Mistakes with medical waste, whether in a hospital, physician's office, veterinarian examining room, or cancer treatment facility, can have serious effects. Careless medical waste disposal of any kind increases the danger of injury, contamination, or exposure to hazardous components, poisons, and medications.

Improper Sharps Disposal
What could go wrong if sharps are not disposed of properly? According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), needlestick injuries can result in severe illnesses caused by bloodborne pathogens such as HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost half of all sharp object or needlestick injuries occur during use, with little over 10% occurring after use but before disposal. Leaving sharps on a patient's bedside table, bed, or on the floor, even for a short period, is a dangerous situation.

Federal requirements specify how sharps containers should be placed in patient rooms or care facilities to avoid spilling. Sharps containers should always be kept out of reach of youngsters and must comply with federal regulations. What does this mean? Sharps containers must be leak-proof, puncture-resistant, sealable, and properly color-coded or labeled for disposal.

Mixing Medical Waste Streams
The differences between medical waste streams in healthcare contexts are defined by both federal and state laws, and it is critical to understand the precise restrictions that apply to your facility. For example, you should not mix hazardous waste with non-hazardous waste. Not only does this make all of the waste hazardous due to contamination, but it also raises the expenses of treatment and disposal.

Each waste stream must be treated and managed independently. The same is true for the various garbage disposal procedures. Federal and state guidelines establish defined standards for such systems. Furthermore, the federal government requires that containers be properly labeled to make it easier and safer to identify their components as well as the appropriate treatment and disposal techniques.

Safety Risks With Pharmaceutical Disposal
Healthcare personnel deal with harmful drugs regularly. Some medications, such as those used to treat cancer (antineoplastic agents), are highly hazardous. Some can enhance the chance of ignition (a fire hazard), whilst others are corrosive. Some chemotherapy medications contain radioactive substances, which can be harmful if not handled appropriately. Improper disposal of dangerous medications can cause environmental damage. Furthermore, unprotected contact with its components by a patient, housekeeper, janitor, or trash delivery worker can be hazardous. Some medications are both harmful and poisonous.

Insufficient Instruction Standards
Insufficient training standards for all healthcare professionals might increase the risk of medical waste-related accidents or injuries. To promote safety, all personnel in medical facilities must be taught to identify and determine hazardous and non-hazardous waste, as well as how to handle each. To be compliant, state and federal criteria must be followed, thus it is critical to stay current on changing regulations governing collection, storage, packing, labeling, and disposal. Failure to comply with medical waste containers poses not only a public health risk but also an environmental one.

Knowledge of secure and authorized medical waste disposal and collection procedures is critical for safety. Trihaz Solutions, with over three decades of experience in healthcare waste management, offers products, education, resources, and customized services to both large and small healthcare facilities. Please contact us immediately to learn more about Trihaz Solutions and our services.
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