Medical waste disposal is an important part of keeping hospitals, clinics and research labs sterile. Medical waste removal is also a vital part of preventing chemicals and diseases from entering the environment. Medical waste companies are extensively trained to handle specific types of medical waste, how to dispose of them, and how medical waste management guidelines affect the environment.

The medical waste management industry has many resources for those that want to train to work for a medical waste collection service. Most medical waste management education and training opportunities can be provided by:

1. Online courses to certify safety training.

2. On-site training seminars and classes that provide guidelines for medical waste removal services.

3. Videos and webinars that provide a visual aid on disposing of medical waste.

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Use on-site training services from medical waste management companies

On-site training is the most comprehensive way to learn about medical waste disposal. This will teach employees about the type of equipment they will use to process medical waste, where it is located in the facility, and how to use safety equipment. On-site training may be provided by a consulting group that comes to a job location, or the business may have its own training courses.

I recommend: Stericycle provides on-site training for hospitals and laboratories. This training incorporates Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance guidelines and provides specifics on medical waste, prescription and sharps disposal training. Facilities may also have their own training programs, as Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory does.

Learn about hospital waste management practices from online courses

The OSHA compliance program that all medical facilities must meet is a standard bookwork course, so it is offered online for faster certification and convenience. There are also additional medical waste training courses offered by companies.

I recommend: Stony Brook University provides an online training program for regulated and hazardous medical waste, complete with certification at the end of training. BioMedical Waste Solutions provides the OSHA compliance program as an online training course for quick and convenient training.

Consider videos as training guides for a medical waste disposal business

Videos an easy way to train a large number of employees at one time. Videos are also much more interactive and interesting for the trainee than books, lectures and tests.

I recommend: MCN Healthcare provides many video titles and manuals that address the issue of waste management and can be used as part of a training program. Nevada Technical Associates provides a video training program on medical surveillance and hazardous materials handling.

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• •  Those that work for medical waste collection services will also need to learn about any state regulations that differ from the national standards for medical waste management set by OSHA.

Medical waste management is a key concern for facilities that must discard hazardous materials that may include sharps, mercury, dental amalgams, expired drugs or chemotherapy agents.

Medical waste companies ensure the safety of people and the environment by disposing of the detritus of nursing homes, hospitals, dental offices, clinics, laboratories and other industries in the allied health field. The medical waste management industry processes your waste materials and provides the proper tracking to keep your business compliant with local and national regulatory bodies. You can choose superlative medical waste management companies by examining the way the business:

1. Provides consistent customer care that exceeds your expectations.

2. Offers flexibility in its medical waste removal services.

3. Meets the needs of smaller clinics and businesses.

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Find a medical waste collection service that provides superior training and customer service

Your staff needs training to prevent illness or injuries from coming into contact with used needles or chemical contaminants. The medical waste management industry can conduct training sessions and provide materials to keep your staff safe as part of its customer service initiative.

I recommend: BioMedical Waste Solutions, LLC can tell you what to do if an OSHA inspector pays your facility a surprise visit. Stericycle provides your staff with quarterly training materials so they know how to avoid the hazards of blood borne pathogens.

Use a medical waste removal service that meets your scheduling needs

The medical waste disposal service you choose must pick up your waste materials discreetly, and without interrupting your normal daily operations.

I recommend: Healthcare Waste Solutions can pick up both your regulated medical waste and your non-medical waste, minimizing disruptions at your facility. XMED Disposal is ready to receive medical waste from contracted transporters 24 hours a day, seven days a week at their processing facility.

Select medical waste collection services familiar with federal and local regulations

If you operate a small health clinic, or if you're in a region not served by medical waste management companies, look for a service that offers a mail back program. The waste disposal company can provide you with containers approved for shipping your medical waste. They process the waste materials and provide you with the necessary paperwork to document your compliance with regulatory agencies.

I recommend: Medasend Biomedical, Inc. provides your business with Department of Health and Human Services approved shipping containers to send your medical waste through the U.S. Postal Service. Healthcare Compliance Service can create a custom mail back service to handle your mercury, sharps and other medical waste.

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• •  The complexity of complying with various regulatory agencies is confusing, and it takes time away from administrative duties. Your medical waste disposal services must have a program that guarantees that your facility's waste disposal methods won't garner any violations or penalties from agencies including the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Medical waste management not only involves measures taken to reduce employees’ exposure to biomedical waste, but also the proper handling and disposal of materials that may contain blood-borne pathogens. Measures to reduce employees' exposure to biomedical waste include training, wearing of latex gloves and protective clothing, and disposing of needles in specially designed medical waste disposal devices to prevent needle-sticks. Knowledge of terminology pertaining to medical waste management regulations and procedures not only ensures that your organization is in compliance but that you are protecting your staff as well.

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Medical Waste Management Act of California

The California Medical Waste Management Act adopted in 1990 addresses the issue of medical waste management by requiring permitting, registration and inspections of facilities that generate large amounts of medical waste, such as hospitals, nursing facilities and clinics. Facilities that generate small amounts of medical waste are also required to register.

I recommend: Obtain further information regarding California’s Medical Waste Management Act from the California Department of Public Health.

Blood-borne pathogens

Blood-borne pathogens are those infectious materials found in blood that can cause hepatitis B or transmit the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to people if they come in contact. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires employers to take measure to protect their employees from exposure to blood-borne pathogens by providing gloves and gowns, hepatitis B vaccinations, proper disposal containers for needles and training.

I recommend: The Environmental Health and Safety training module of the Board of Regents at the University System of Georgia provides training on blood-borne pathogens.

SHARPS

SHARPS medical-waste, management-disposal devices provide a method for health-care workers to safely dispose of needles by extracting them from the syringe, thereby reducing the chance of an accidental needle-stick and possible transmission of infectious disease.

I recommend: The Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Environment, Health and Safety Division provides information on disposal procedures for medical waste utilizing SHARPS containers.

Biomedical waste

Biomedical waste consists of items such as blood samples, cultures, needles and any other device used to puncture, cut or scrape the body, as well as human fluids and waste that have the possibility of carrying blood-borne pathogens that can cause hepatitis B and transmit HIV. Individuals can protect themselves from the hazards of biomedical waste by washing their hands, covering sores and cuts, wearing latex gloves and protective clothing, and disinfecting work areas.

I recommend: Obtain further information on biomedical waste at Public Health - Seattle & King County.

Pharmaceutical waste management

While pharmaceuticals effectively treat disease and other medical conditions in humans, leftover dosages - especially those containing epinephrine and warfarin - are hazardous wastes and need to be disposed of according to regulation. Pharmaceuticals that have ignitability, reactivity, toxicity and corrosive characteristics also need to be disposed of according to regulation.

I recommend: Refer to the Hazardous Materials Table in the Code of Federal Regulations to determine whether a pharmaceutical is a hazardous material.

Dental waste disposal

Dental offices, like other medical offices, also use needles, syringes and lancets in their daily operations and therefore require proper waste disposal. Materials used in dental offices, such as amalgam for dental fillings and lead foils, also require special disposal methods.

I recommend: Visit the North Carolina Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources for further information on dental waste disposal.