Proper Medical Waste Disposal Techniques in Riverside
Proper Medical Waste Disposal in Riverside
Medical waste needs to be handled correctly to keep employees and patients safe, and to comply with federal and California state laws. There are several types of medical waste and each type needs to be handled differently.
Avoid steep fines, workplace accidents, and a bad company reputation by taking care to properly handle, store, and dispose of your medical waste. Here are some basic tips to help protect your company, employees, patients, and the environment:
Keep Pharmaceuticals Separate from Other Types of Medical Waste – Pharmaceuticals must be separately and specifically disposed of because they do not degrade naturally over time. Don’t mix your expired pharmaceuticals with other types of medical waste—put them in separate, clearly labeled containers.
- Perform Regular Employee Training – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires yearly, documented training on blood borne pathogens for all employees who may be exposed to infectious germs. Ineffective training will result in more workplace accidents and an increased risk of improper disposal practices.
- Don’t Mix Alcohol, Aerosols, or Chemicals with Medical Waste – Some chemicals are marked as hazardous and require special treatment. If you have chemicals or other questionable items to dispose of, contact a local Riverside professional before taking action to ensure you are following the law and keeping it safe.
- Don’t Transport Your Own Medical Waste – The department of transportation has rules regarding who can and how to transport hazardous waste. Even if you’re just moving across the street, employ a permitted hauler to move your medical waste.
- Don’t Leave Medical Waste Containers Open – Medical waste should be stored in secure containers before disposal, especially if you let it accumulate before disposing of a large amount of waste. If the container doesn’t securely close you risk spillage or contamination.
There are certain workplace procedures that can decrease the risk of accidents and infections. Federal and state governments regulated medical waste because it is harmful to people and the environment. Taking steps towards mitigating the dangers of these materials is smart and responsible.
Medical Waste Pros Riverside help businesses in Southern California stay in compliance with medical waste disposal laws by partnering them with qualified disposal experts. Our partners know the proper way to dispose of sensitive materials, and have the tools to make the job quick, efficient, and affordable.
To find a disposal expert in your area, call us at (951) 394-7668.
How Can I Dispose of Medical Waste in California?
The main goal of proper medical waste disposal is safety. To keep janitors, sanitation workers, and other public workers safe, never flush medical waste down the drain or throw it in with the regular trash. Instead, there are several services offered in California that will help you correctly dispose of potentially infectious materials:
On-Call Medical Waste Management Services
On-call disposal services allow businesses to slowly fill up waste containers and call a service provider when the container is full and needs to be emptied. This type of service is useful if a company produces medical waste sporadically, or is looking to decrease costs by reducing the number of pickups.
Most waste materials can be stored indefinitely, so if you have the storage capacity, this can be an extremely cost-effective solution.
Mailback/Shipping and Return Kits
Any type of medical waste can be sent through the mail, provided it’s in the proper container and properly labeled. Mailback kits are simple and easy for small waste producers to use.
Your service provider will provide everything you need, from a shipping box with a prepaid label to the waste container and instructions. Sharps, amalgam, mercury, soft medical waste, and even liquids can all be mailed as long as you completely follow the instructions.
Regularly Scheduled Medical Waste Disposal
For practices that constantly produce large volumes of waste, regularly scheduled (or ongoing services) are perfect. With this type of service, you are given large collection containers to distribute throughout your location. Then you schedule pickup services for the future, which can be scheduled on any frequency—daily, weekly, monthly or even annually.
With this system you never have to worry about your waste management getting out of hand—drivers are automatically sent to pick up your waste and do the dirty disposal work.
With the various options available through medical waste disposal services providers, you’ll be sure to find one that fits your needs. Get free quotes on whatever service you need from a reliable contractor in Riverside today.
Get Free, No Obligation Quotes on Medical Waste Disposal Services in Southern California Today
Never throw your medical waste in the normal trash. Doing so endangers public sanitation workers and the environment. Medical Waste Pros Riverside will match you with a qualified service provider who will safely and affordably manage your medical waste. To get started, fill out the form on the right or call our Riverside office at (951) 394-7668. We will get you free quotes on services in your neighborhood.