Medical Waste Disposal Service Nationwide

What is Medical Waste Disposal?

Ever noticed those small, brightly colored containers scattered around the doctor's office or hospital room? The color may change, but the warnings and illustrations are very similar - "caution" or "biohazard". While those words may seem ominous or concerning, the bins are there for the health and safety of everybody. They are specialized receptacles for medical waste, such as instruments or materials that may have come in contact with potentially infected bodily fluids. Medical waste containers help to keep infection from spreading and infecting new people. The process of medical waste disposal, however, doesn't stop at the containers.

How it Works

The medical waste disposal process starts with color coding. Different types of material are treated differently when disposing, so separate containers are set up to isolate those materials. Each of these bins are assigned a specific color:

• Red: This container is reserved for instruments that have come in contact with hazardous materials. This may include syringes without the needle, IV tubing, and catheters.
• Yellow: This color is for "trace" chemotherapy waste. The word "trace" used in this context means empty, or very little. Instruments and supplies used in the chemotherapy process are placed in the yellow bin when they are below the 3% limit. This may include IV bags and vials used for a patients chemotherapy treatment.
• Black: This container is used specifically for instruments and supplies used in chemotherapy. Any vial, IV bag, or tubing that is found to have more than 3% of a drug or chemical remaining must be placed in the black container.
• Blue: This color holds glass materials - beakers and vials - that have been used and pose a contamination risk.
• White: These containers hold sharp elements and instruments. In this container, one would find blades, scalpels, and used needles (2).

After these materials are separated, they are taken away by a special medical waste disposal team. These professionals are trained and equipped to properly dispose of these potentially hazardous materials. In most cases, the refuse is taken to a special facility to be incinerated. Other materials, however, must be disposed of in designated landfills marked for medical waste. Both instances keep these contaminated objects away from the public and help to ensure safety and health.

There are a number of qualified teams trained and ready to dispose of medical waste nationwide. That's why it is important that you research the various teams or companies in your area to best address your specific medical waste disposal needs.

Why Use it?

Medical waste disposal is not a service sought out by a large proportion of the population. So, the question becomes who needs this list of specialized services? Those in the medical field, or those closely related, make up the number one group for these services. Places like doctor's offices and hospitals are high on the list, but also veterinary clinics and dental offices have need for medical waste disposal services. While veterinary clinics only service animals, their clientele can and does have communicable diseases or conditions that can be passed to other animals, even humans. In a similar vein, dental offices handle sharp instruments that come into contact with bodily fluids. These instruments must be disposed of properly to ensure diseases are not transmitted haphazardly.

There is a need for this service on an individual basis as well. Some individuals and families provide home health care for ongoing conditions. Medical waste is a common byproduct of that care and therefore needs to be discarded through the proper channels. Medical waste disposal services can be contacted by each individual or family in need, or through community services found at local hospitals or medical offices. In the end, the safe disposal of medical waste is a public health concern and should be properly executed.