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. Here’s the lowdown from the Red Bags blog this month.
Medical Waste Training: Why It’s Necessary (and How Often)
The EPA and OSHA have resources for healthcare facilities to create a training program that will ensure the safety of workers. Failing to follow protocol and adequately train staff can result in the spread of infection, compromising not only customers and patients, but the environment as well. If you generate, transport, treat, store, or dispose of hazardous waste, you will also need to be in compliance with federal EPA training requirements.
What training is required, when is it required, and how often is it required for healthcare professionals? It will depend on the task. Here’s what you need to know about medical waste training.
Medical Waste: Best Practices vs. The Law
When it comes to medical waste, there are many federal and state legal requirements to ensure safe disposal and treatment. Of course, adhering to the law is non-negotiable, but we also recommend adhering to the industry’s best practices for the highest levels of safety and compliance.
Sometimes, the focus is too much on regulation and not enough on standards, which is why facilities need to set the bar higher and go beyond the legal minimum. Here’s why segregation, storage, and mandated training are more than just laws.
But Is It Medical Waste?
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.
Nicotine patches, feminine products, food, and even e-cigarettes all come with some gray area on how to dispose of them properly. Here’s the lowdown on in what situations these items may be considered medical waste.
Want to learn more? Follow Red Bags’ blog to be up to date on the latest happenings in the medical waste industry.
You Might Also Like:
- How Long Can Sharps and Red Bags be Stored in Patient Areas in the State of New York
- Top 5 Medical Waste Violations: Is Your Facility Guilty?
- Regulatory Facts That Small Healthcare Facilities May Be Overlooking
Service Areas: Long Island Medical Waste; New York City Medical Waste; Westchester Medical Waste and more!