Medical waste is one of the biggest causes of concern in today’s world. With over 5.9 million tonnes produced by just hospitals in the United States every year, it contributes quite a lot to the total waste output. This has led to the government spending about $2.5 billion in the year 2012 alone, this has only been rising, predicted to hit almost 4 billion or even more.
Source: Infographic
The biggest problem with these wastes is the fact that they are biohazardous.
What does Biohazardous mean?
Any substance that can possess a threat to the health of living organisms primarily humans is known as a biohazard. This could include a sample of microorganisms, viruses, or toxins that can adversely affect human health. This could also include substances harmful to other animals.
Biohazardous wastes are generally broken down into four fundamental levels each with varying degrees of threat.
Source: Wikipedia
Medical waste unlike other kinds of waste requires special attention and treatment. Unlike other types of waste that can be dumped or recycled, medical waste will have to be put through treatment before being disposed of or recycled. This is not only a good medical practice but also a legal requirement in almost all developing and developed countries.
Different states and countries might have different laws in place, however, the common practice of treating your medical wastes is the same across every country.
What are some of the effects of not disposing of your wastes properly?
The effects of not disposing of your medical wastes can be quite significant and must be avoided at any cost. Some examples include:
- Infection amongst hospital personal and other staff who tend to be in contact with sharps.
- With bad handling of medical waste and poor infection control practices, both visitors to the hospital as well as healthcare workers and garbage disposal teams may contract a hospital-acquired infection. Poor treatment can also leave the neighborhood of the hospital prone to sickness.
- Medical waste given to the wrong organizations can create more harm than good. Some businesses might try to repackage and even sell disposables to other establishments without giving them a single wash.
- Other bad businesses might repackage old and expired drugs to sell into the market which could be very detrimental to public health.
- Failure to contain infections preemptively in the very worst case can create a pandemic scenario which can finally lead to a situation like we are experiencing today.
So how do you dispose of your medical wastes?
The simplest and most effective way for you to dispose of your biohazardous wastes would be to hire an external waste disposal agency to take care of your work for you. With companies that work in every single state with a safe and continuous approach to waste disposal and the right government licenses, like Daniels Health Medical Waste Disposal, you can be assured that your waste is being ethically and properly disposed of.
How are companies like Daniels Health better than the rest?
- Licenses:
Companies like Daniels health operate with licenses issued by the government. This means that all of their disposal methods have been approved by the federal agencies and your waste is being treated as per protocol.
- In Hospital disposal:
The company’s new method of disposing of sharps and other objects into safe and protected bins to ensure that it doesn’t come in contact with anybody and remains isolated from the patients as well as anyone else.
- Efficiency:
These companies operate much faster than standard companies as their disposal methods begin from the moment you place your bio waste into their designated spots. With this, the final act of taking the waste away from your establishment can be done extremely quickly.
- Environmentally friendly:
Unlike other agencies, companies like Daniel’s Health show a lot of respect towards the disposal process and ensures it is as clean and green as possible.
- Staff education:
This agency puts the effort to educate each member of your staff on how to use the disposal systems and how exactly they function. This will ensure that your staff will not face any trouble when it comes to the actual usage of these systems.
Remember to keep these points in mind the next time you look for a waste management agency.