If medical waste is not disposed of correctly, it can become very hazardous.
Universal precautions must be applied in everyinstance of disposing medical waste. Blood and blood products must be treated as potentially dangerous because they actually are potentially dangerous.
It was in the 1980s that people began to be very concerned about the health hazards posed by medical waste, when medical objects like needles were observed to have been washed ashore on many East Coast beaches. Since then, environmentalists have taken giant steps to see to the proper disposal of medical waste.
What Medical Waste Includes
- Any items contaminated with body fluids like dressings and compresses, bandages and gauze pads;
- All bodily fluid like blood, semen, urine, salivaetc.;
- Contaminated bedding, gloves and sharp objects such as scalpel blades and syringes.
Medical waste could be either solid or liquid. Medical waste comes from places where medical activities occur like laboratories, veterinary clinics, doctors’ and dentists’ offices, medical clinics, hospitals, nursing homes and funeral homes. The waste coming from these facilities need to be treated differently, even though they’re not normally infectious.
What’s The Process
- Always use sterile, waterproof gloves.
- Once waste is designated as medical waste, it must be stored or disposed of in bags that are not leaky and in containers that have been labelled with different colors.
- Disposable sharp objects (like scalpel blades, syringes and needles) need to be put into puncture-proof bags and mini bins.
- Before handling, storingor movingwaste that has been contaminated with blood or body fluids, it should be double-bagged.
- There are provincial and federal laws regarding the disposal of medical waste, and medical facilities must adhere strictly to them.
The label infectious or biohazardousis used on much medical waste to mean that it has the potential to lead to the spread of infectious diseases.
If sharp objects are discarded improperly, not only the public but even workers could be put at risk of injury. If the containers used to store or transport sharp objects prove to be inadequate, the containers may break open during transport and these sharp objects may poke through the garbage can. There is every likelihood that whoever is carelessly moving around the area at the time may suffer needle stick injuries or even some kind of disease infection. Used syringes are capable of transmitting infectious diseases like HIV and hepatitis.
Alternative TreatmentAndDisposalOfMedicalWaste
There are other, more preferred, alternatives to burning medical waste.
- Microwaving;
- Electro-pyrolysis;
- Chemical systems;
- Sterilization by steam, like autoclaving.
Yes, Dump-Squad can help you get rid of medical waste too. We offer quick and reliable mini bin rentals with delivery and pickup services. We also offer a variety of bins sizes from 4.5 to 15 cubic meters, so there is a bin size available for both individual situations and corporate situations. Talk to us live today so that we can discuss your options.
Dump-Squad is one of the fastest growing disposal bin rental, dumpster rental, mini bin rental and junk removal company in Toronto, Ontario. We hope you have enjoyed reading this article and can take something away from it. In the event you are looking to hire any junk removal services or garbage bin rentals in the Toronto area, please feel free to contact us at any time!