Medical Waste
We’ve Answered Our Clients’ Most Often-asked Questions About Medical Waste
This month, we answered some of the top questions from the medical waste community on our Red Bags blog. Medical professionals have made healthcare their business, and often must handle and deal with a variety of medical waste, but we still get some questions about the more obscure laws and disposal practices in the industry.…
Read MorePress Release: Code Red Merges With Red Bags
The Red Bags/Code Red merger offers unmatched local presence in New York City, while providing greater integration of services. Red Bags, one of New York’s leading medical waste disposal companies, today announced its merger with Code Red. This transaction fills a need in the current healthcare medical waste disposal system, and presents a unique opportunity…
Read MoreBut Is It Medical Waste? Lesser-known Items That May/May Not Be Considered Hazardous Waste
Is food really considered medical waste? At the airport, maybe… Regulations regarding medical waste disposal are developed and administered by state agencies, but federal agencies have paved the way for many of the local laws. In medical waste disposal, there are some gray areas and some rather obscure disposal directives. Here’s where it can get…
Read MoreBest Practices vs. Medical Waste Disposal Laws
Medical facilities shouldn’t rely on the minimum legal standard for medical waste removal, but rather focus on the highest standards for patient and staff safety. A medical waste removal program is designed to adhere to regulatory compliance and follow medical waste disposal laws to the letter. Proper medical waste disposal is also about mitigating risk…
Read MoreWhat Medical Waste Training Is Required (and How Often) For Staff
Trained healthcare employees who are responsible for the safe disposal of medical waste is a necessity for the safety of patients and staff. But how often staff will need to be trained will depend on the task … The EPA and OSHA have resources for healthcare facilities to create a training program that will ensure…
Read MoreWho Is Responsible for Packaging Medical Waste?
Medical waste packaging includes red bags, sharps containers, biohazard containers, and more. But whose responsibility is it to ensure that medical waste goes where it belongs? On-site management of regulated medical waste is a multi-pronged issue, as there are state and federal regulations, all of which cover packaging, disposal, handling, and removal. Many states require…
Read MoreData Breaches in Healthcare On the Rise
For years the healthcare industry has been a prime target for cybercriminals, and there is no sign of healthcare data breaches slowing down. Healthcare data breaches are not only a costly catastrophe, but an event that compromises the safety and identity of customers. The Ponemon Institute estimates that data breaches cost the healthcare industry approximately…
Read MoreHow Long Can Sharps and Red Bags Be Stored in Patient Areas in the State of New York?
Exactly how long can you hold onto your stored medical waste in New York State? Medical waste packaging and labeling in a facility that deals with regulated medical waste is the responsibility of the facility itself, and it’s up to managers and staff to follow local and federal compliance laws. Packaging includes sharps containers, biohazard…
Read MoreRegulatory Facts That Small Healthcare Facilities May Be Overlooking
To understand the details of medical waste compliance, smaller medical waste generators should be familiar with all regulatory issues. Laboratories, hospitals, private practice offices, dental facilities, and even veterinary offices are all places that produce medical waste, and they are required by federal, state, and even local laws, to create a medical waste removal plan. …
Read MoreIs Glass Considered Sharps Waste, Even If It’s Not Broken?
Don’t toss that glass in a red bag. Your glass medical waste belongs in a sharps container. Here’s why. One of the most talked about topics in medical waste removal and disposal is sharps waste. Sharps is actually the medical term for a sharp-pointed object that can cut or puncture the skin, and this includes…
Read MoreWhy States Have Different Medical Waste Laws (and Why You Should Know The Differences)
Not all states handle medical waste disposal the same, and understanding your local laws will help you maintain compliance. Medical waste disposal is governed by a stringent set of rules outlined by both state and federal laws, and while state laws will share many similarities, there are also a host of differences across borders. We…
Read MoreCommon Items Found In Medical Waste Containers That Are NOT Medical Waste
Soiled linens. Non-hazardous pharmaceutical waste. Are they really considered medical waste? The process of segregating wastes into the right categories can greatly reduce the volume of regulated medical waste. You wouldn’t put paper trash into red bag waste, nor would you put sharps in a trash receptacle. In these situations, you’re either paying for unnecessary…
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