The world generates roughly 2 million tons of medical wastes each year. Due to the nature of medical Jobs, medical waste can’t be treated as regular waste.
Medical waste handling, disposal, biohazards remediation, and water remediation and cleanup are services in Destin, Florida, that require highly trained professionals. In this blog, we answer some common questions on medical waste.
Is medical waste hazardous?
Not all medical wastes are biohazards. Hospitals and medical facilities use different materials and equipment for testing, sampling, administering drugs, and more. Most medical wastes are not hazardous, and only about 15% of medical wastes are biohazards.
The materials and equipment that come in contact with harmful pathogens like viruses, super bacteria, and fungi pose a threat to health and wellbeing. Hospital wastes include bodily fluids (like blood, stool, urine) and viscera. Radioactive materials can also endanger the unsuspecting populace.
Is medical waste recycled?
Although about 85% of medical wastes are not biohazards, medical facilities don’t recycle most of them. This is mainly because of financial reasons- it takes time, and it is cheaper to buy newer materials. However, there are recycling methods that safely sanitize metals, glass, and plastics.
How is medical waste disposed of?
Medical waste disposal services Pensacola Florida, safely handle and dispose of wastes for medical facilities without an incinerator or proper waste management system.
The wastes are first separated and categorized as general, pharmaceutical, pathological, sharps, chemical, infectious, and radioactive wastes. Workers then place the waste n different specific containers. For instance, medical sharps are placed in tight-sealed, puncture-proof materials to prevent injury or infections; and radioactive materials are placed in special containers.
After all the wastes have been sorted, they undergo treatment and storage. Some of them will be sanitized or recycled. Hospitals use different methods for this. Some of them include:
Autoclaving: This involves using an autoclave to provide high-pressure, superheated steam to sterilize wastes and other equipment.
Chemical treatment: Liquid and chemical waste undergo chemical treatment to rid them of harmful pathogens or make them safe to handle.
Irradiation: Iradiation douses medical wastes with microwaves to destroy harmful pathogens.
When the wastes have been treated, hospitals store them before transportation and disposal. If the medical facility doesn’t have an in-house incinerator, a medical waste disposal service company will incinerate the waste in a controlled environment, following EPA guidelines.
Conclusion.
Handling medical wastes requires strict guidelines and procedures to ensure human safety and prevent environmental hazards. Many hospitals, medical facilities, and pharmaceutical companies work with disposal and cleanup to effectively manage and dispose of waste.