Disposal of medical waste in Northeast Florida
The red biohazardous containers and bags seen throughout
hospitals and doctors’ offices are used to safely remove sharps, needles, and
IV catheters that contain any human blood or bodily fluid. Disposal of medical waste in Northeast Florida
Medical waste also includes paper towels, wipes, gloves, syringes without
needles, bandages or dressings with small amounts of dry blood or fluid, and
any other material from medical care. Syringes with needles or sharp objects
that can pierce through a plastic bag require a special storage container for
additional protection. Sharps disposal can be a tricky business. One needle
stick can take a life, or deliver thousands in fines from the EPA or other government
bodies. To make things worse, regulations are always in flux, and they can
change drastically across state or even local lines. Healthcare staff should
follow best practices for safe sharps handling and disposal. Important rules
include handling sharps as little as possible, then immediately discarding them
in a puncture-resistant, sealed container. Infectious waste: waste contaminated
with blood / blood by-products, cultures and stocks of infectious agents, waste
originating from isolation ward patients, discarded diagnostic samples
containing blood and body fluids, infected animals originating from laboratories,
and contaminated materials (bandages, swabs) and equipment (such as disposable
medical instruments).
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