Did you know that state laws and guidelines governing healthcare waste compliance are frequently more stringent than federal regulations? Healthcare waste management is not an option. It is the law. If you don't follow the guidelines, your institution faces not just closure, but also fines and penalties, as well as reputational damage, until you fix the issues.
State restrictions also range on how medical waste is separated, stored, and transported. In addition to what the federal government does, each state must regulate its medical waste guidelines, legislation, fines, and penalties. Do not be caught off guard. There is no justification for being uninformed. Medical waste generators must know state and federal regulations regarding healthcare waste segregation and handling. Five Healthcare Waste Compliance Facts You Should Know
1- Medical waste generators are also accountable for following state rules
You don't get to choose which guidelines to follow. You have to follow both. In many circumstances, state requirements for medical waste treatment and disposal are more complex and stringent than federal regulations. Be prepared to identify and categorize all medical waste streams produced by your hospital. This guarantees that you correctly identify various types of medical waste and follow state requirements for their handling, storage, and disposal. Only by appropriately segregating distinct forms of medical waste (infectious waste, anatomical waste, sharps waste, etc.) can you ensure compliance with ultimate on-site or off-site disposal choices, such as burning, chemical treatments, or autoclaving, for example.
2- Be conscious of the variation between small-quantity and large-quantity generator requirements dependent on your state
They can and frequently differ in volume, containment and storage standards, treatment choices (on-site or off-site), registration, licensing, and price requirements. A healthcare facility that is registered as a small quantity generator (SQG) and exceeds its waste volume limit risks non-compliance. County and/or state departments levy annual permission fees, and medical waste generators are required to pay for each pound of treated medical waste. Attempting to circumvent these regulations can cost facilities tens of thousands of dollars each day, per infraction.
3- Sharps count as medical waste
Anything that contains certain bodily fluids, such as liquid blood or other potentially infectious elements or components, or that is saturated with blood, must be separated, controlled, and disposed of as medical waste. Improper segregation and handling of discarded sharps, especially needles, endangers both medical facility staff and the general public. Following regulations not only ensure compliance but can also reduce needlestick injury scenarios in healthcare facilities, saving money on sharps injury treatments and lowering the risk of fines and penalties for improper sharps disposal in a compliant sharps container, as well as proper sharps container placement.
4- Combining non-hazardous medical waste with infectious waste or hazardous should be avoided totally
To ensure compliance, medical waste must be appropriately sorted and segregated. Failure to correctly segregate various medical waste stream categories can jeopardize the safety and health of patients, healthcare workers, and the general public. It is illegal! It extends beyond segregation, though. Proper labeling, label size, biohazard, and other labels specifying the waste stream category are critical and must be visible from all sides of containers. Any employee who places specific types of garbage, such as sharps or biohazard waste, in the incorrect container can bring your facility into issue with both federal and state regulatory agencies.
5- Be aware that healthcare waste compliance does not only apply to medical and healthcare establishments
Any firm that generates potentially contagious or medical waste is subject to federal and state regulations. For example, veterinarians and veterinary clinics, funeral homes, long-term care and rehabilitation institutions, and tattoo and body piercing parlors are all required to meet federal and state medical waste compliance rules.
Trihaz Solutions is committed to proper medical waste management, including the design of compliant sharps container solutions, waste segregation services, and guidance to ensure that all healthcare facilities, regardless of size, remain compliant and avoid significant fines and penalties. We recognize that cost and a facility's bottom line are critical, but so is decreasing the amount of healthcare waste that ends up in our landfills. Call us today to learn more about Trihaz Solutions, waste stream identification, compliant disposal techniques, long-term sustainability, and cost savings.
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