Proper Medical Waste Disposal Techniques in Portland

| | 5 minute read

Medical waste requires proper disposal, our Portland partners can help!Proper Medical Waste Disposal

Medical waste disposal is one of the more difficult things to manage in any workplace in Portland.  There are serious implications if any type of medical waste is handled improperly.  There’s several different types of medical waste.

To ensure that your organization is handling medical waste disposal properly, there are some good rules of thumb to ensure you’re protecting your company, your employees, your patients, and the environment:

  • Don’t move medical waste to a different location– If your facility relocates anywhere in Portland (even across the street), don’t take your medical waste with you.  Schedule a pickup by a permitted medical waste hauler receives your waste for transport.
  • Don’t place alcohol, aerosols, or any other chemicals into medical waste– Certain chemicals and different types of medical waste are classified as hazardous.  Make sure to obtain expert guidance on disposal of any chemicals you may have collected, no matter how small the volume from a waste disposal expert in Portland.
  • Don’t discard pharmaceuticals in any other type of medical waste– Pharmaceuticals should be disposed in specific, designed containers.  Since many pharmaceuticals don’t degrade over time, there are specific regulations that dictate how these pharmaceuticals should be disposed of properly.
  • Don’t leave any medical waste container open or a full waste container unsealed– Full waste containers can topple and spill their potentially infectious content.  Be sure that all medical waste is not only disposed of, but also completely sealed to prevent exposure.
  • Don’t ignore required training for handling medical waste– The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires documented training on blood borne pathogens for anyone who may be at risk of exposure to disease-causing germs present in medical waste every year.  Lack in training causes unnecessary exposure that could put your entire facility at risk.

There are proper procedures and government regulations on the federal, state, and local level to ensure that any items that are used in your home or for your business that contain or create medical waste is disposed of properly.

Medical Waste Pros Portland will help you stay in compliance, figure out what items related to medical issues you can just throw away and what items need to be disposed of properly because they contain (or are) hazardous materials.

To find a disposal expert in Portland today, give our Portland office a call at (503) 894-5143.

How Can I Dispose of Medical Waste in Portland?

Medical Waste in Portland requires special treatment, we can help.First, it’s important to remember to avoid flushing medical waste down the toilet.  Every time medical waste is flushed, it increases the risk of accidental exposure for sanitation and sewage treatment workers, janitors, and your family.  There are several different ways you can dispose of and manage your medical waste in Oregon, including:

Regularly Scheduled Medical Waste Disposal

If you have an ongoing need to gather and dispose of a significant amount of medical waste, a regularly scheduled service allows you to plan for ongoing pickup.  A local provider will schedule a time to pick up and dispose of your medical waste based on your schedule.  They can handle any kind of frequency, from daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or even annually.

All pickups are tracked and secured, and you’ll receive a detailed manifest for tracking and a certificate of destruction for your records.

Mailback/Shipping and Return Kits

A mailback system is option to dispose of your medical waste properly.  Every mailback system includes  the components required to package your medical waste to be mailed and disposed of at a secure facility.  Mailback systems are an efficient way to collect, return and dispose of any type of medical waste.

Mailback disposal is ideal for smaller quantities of sharps, soft medical waste, amalgam, and mercury, but you can utilize a mailback system for any amount and virtually any type of medical waste.

On-Call Medical Waste Management Services

If you need on-call service for emergencies or your facility doesn’t need medical waste pickup on a regular basis (or only have a small amount that needs to be collected periodically), Portland Medical Waste Disposal can connect you with a provider that offers on-call medical waste management service. 

This service is identical to a regularly scheduled service- but instead of a regular schedule, you can request pickup whenever you need it.

No matter which system you choose, we’ll help you find a local provider that can assist you with the medical waste management that works best for you.  Get free quotes today!

Get Free No-hassle Quotes on Medical Waste Disposal Services in Portland Today

Don’t just throw your medical waste in the trash. Medical Waste Pros Portland can help you find a reliable local medical waste disposal expert to provide a container to help you dispose of your household waste safely and securely.  To get started, fill out the form to the right, or give our Portland location a call at (503) 894-5143.  Within minutes, you’ll get free, no obligation quotes from a Portland Disposal Expert.