Storing Medical Waste in the Office has Regulations

Proper disposal and storage protocols must be followed at all medical and dental facilities until the waste can be pickup up and transported off-site or disposed of on-site. As medical waste requires special handling to reduce the risk of harm to healthcare workers.

Medical waste includes blood and other bodily fluids, body tissue, organs from both humans and animals, sharps including syringes, needles, scalpel blades and razor blades. Medical waste can be generated by medical clinics, doctor’s offices, dental facilities, veterinary clinics and tattoo parlors.

Storage requirements to prevent the release or discharge of medical waste include:

• The integrity of the packaging must be maintained at all times. This includes protection from the elements such as wind, rain, snow and other precipitation.
• Care must be taken to keep waste from turing putrid. This may require refrigeration.
• Must be kept secure from animals and insects.
• Must be stored in a designated, low-traffic area, accessible only by authorized employees.
• Outdoor storage areas must be locked, secured and protected from the elements.
• The universal biohazard symbol must be prominently displayed and accompanied by written warnings in all designated storage areas.
• Medical waste should be stored on-site for no longer than 90 days unless the facility has received approval for longer storage times.
• Containers must be properly sealed and any container that has been compromised must be placed inside a secondary, properly sealed container.
• All containers must be properly labelled with the biohazard symbol as well as written warnings.
• Medical waste should not be allowed to comingle with other solid waste.
• Medical waste should never be stored in areas near where medical supplies or food is stored.

Once transport has been arranged, all medical waste disposal materials should be properly secured and labeled to minimize the risk of breakage, leeks and release of any potentially harmful liquids or solids. Observing these requirements will help ensure the safety of healthcare workers as well as the general public.

Categorised in: General

This post was written by Dev