Articles by Kevin Webber

Medical waste disposal is serious business. Without its correct segregation, storage, containment, handling, and disposal, medical waste can potentially transmit infectious diseases or other hazardous risks to healthcare workers, the public, waste handlers, and the environment.

Most healthcare teams are keenly aware of the threat posed to humans and the environment by medical and hazardous waste, which requires them to follow certain protocols for its disposal. What you may not realize, however, is that you remain accountable for your waste until the very end of its lifecycle. Called “cradle-to-grave,” this responsibility is one companies need to take very seriously.

The average neighborhood pharmacy generates a good amount of medical and pharmaceutical waste, and the amount and types of waste they generate has been steadily increasing in recent years as their roles in their communities expand. While those roles were once largely limited to filling prescriptions and selling over-the-counter medications and other health-related merchandise, many are branching out to provide other services.

Medical waste can be a concern in places many people wouldn’t expect – Tattoo studios, for instance. Tattooing, piercing and other types of body art are not medical procedures, and the shops and studios that provide them are not healthcare facilities. However, they do share some similarities with healthcare settings in terms of the tools and materials of their trade, as well as the waste products generated as they work. So what qualifies as medical/hazardous waste in a tattoo shop and what do these artists need to know about handling regulated waste properly?

The process of managing hazardous waste can be complicated. There are many guidelines to follow in order to be compliant with state and federal regulations, and proper identification of hazardous waste is the cornerstone of a compliant waste program. The entire identification process can be confusing, especially when it comes to understanding the definition of hazardous waste exclusions. You can help make sure your hazardous waste program is efficient, cost-effective, and compliant by knowing which exclusions to apply. We’ve put together this list to help streamline waste management at your facility.  

With one-third of medical waste generated every year coming from private clinics and practices, that’s a whopping 1.9 million tons requiring safe disposal. Managing medical waste is one of the least pleasant aspects of practice administration but one of the most essential, which means it's likely one of your priorities. When the medical team resists complying with your hard-won methods, your waste management vendor treats you like just another number, and you find yourself stuck between a rock and a hard place, it’s time to identify a service provider who works for you. Here’s what you should be looking for.

Congratulations, you finally got a handle on how to properly package your facility’s medical waste! Then you learn your state’s laws are just slightly different from federal regulations. Or you discover some staff members, even after careful training, aren’t complying with proper disposal. Now what?

Dealing with medical waste is one of the details of daily life in the medical environment that often flies under the radar of medical staff. However, it cannot escape the attention of office managers or administrators who are in charge of seeing that it is handled in compliance with state and federal disposal regulations. Typically, one of the more difficult aspects of managing this process is the day-to-day task of ensuring that the various categories of medical waste are properly disposed of by the clinical staff members who generate them. If this is an issue in your workplace, here are some steps you can take that may help to resolve it:

While funeral homes are not healthcare facilities, they require the same waste management procedures since they generate medical waste. As a funeral director, you have personal responsibility for properly disposing of all waste generated by your funeral home.

Proper hazardous waste storage is one of the most important methods for protecting your facility and maintaining normal operations. Additionally, upholding best practices for waste management is crucial for ensuring proper storage techniques, along with the wellbeing of the surrounding environment and the safety of all visitors and employees.