How Frequently Do You Need Your Medical Waste Picked Up

The frequency of the medical waste pickup depends of the the amount of medical waste produced by the facility. Which mainly can be determined by the kind of facility. Medical waste refers to the waste produced by medical labs, surgical centers, nursing homes, dentist offices and other facilities related to the healthcare industry. Waste can include discarded sharps (needles, scalpels, etc.), surgical gloves, bandages, blood, culture dishes, extracted teeth and fillings. The frequency of medical waste pickup will depend on the amount of waste generated by a particular facility. A surgery center may generate in excess of 20,000 pounds of medical waste per month, while a dental office may generate less than 100 pounds per month.

• Medical Laboratory — A medical lab or research facility generates infectious hazardous waste in the form of cultures and stocks, as well as red bag waste including items such as bloody gloves, gauze, bandages and sharps. Depending on the size of the facility, labs can produce as much as 20,000 pounds per month which require weekly pickup.

• Surgery Center — Surgical centers generate medical waste that includes red bag waste, as well as pathological waste such as tissues, organs and body parts. A surgery center may generate waste in excess of 20,000 pounds per month and require weekly pickup.

• Nursing Home — Nursing centers produce mostly red bag waste which could result in the generation of 100 or more pounds of medical waste per month. Depending on the amount, pickup may be required on a monthly or bimonthly basis.

• Pediatrician — Pediatrician’s office generate roughly 100 pounds per month of mostly red bag waste which requires a monthly pickup.

• Dentists — Dental offices may not generate as much waste as healthcare facilities, but they produce a type of waste known as “duel waste” which includes red bag waste as well as infectious hazardous waste such as dental amalgams containing mercury, silver, copper or tin. A dentist’s office may generate less than 50 pounds of medical waste per month and only require pickup on a quarterly schedule.

Categorised in: General

This post was written by Dev