Biomedical Waste Management Definition Facts and Best Practices
Biomedical Waste Management Definition, Facts, and Best Practices © 2017 All Rights Reserved 888 -641 -6131
Definition of Biomedical Waste • “Medical waste that contains potentially infectious material. ” • 1988 Medical Waste Tracking Act defines it as, “waste generated during medical research, testing, diagnosis, immunization, or treatment of human beings or animals. ” © 2017 All Rights Reserved 888 -641 -6131
Names for Biomedical Waste • Regulated Medical Waste • Healthcare Waste • Bio Medical Waste • Clinical Waste • Medical Waste • Biohazardous Waste • Infectious Medical Waste © 2017 All Rights Reserved 888 -641 -6131
Types of Biomedical Waste • Sharps (needles, scalpels, lancets, broken glass, etc. ) • Infectious Waste (swabs, lab cultures, excreta, etc. ) • Pathological (human fluids, body parts, animal carcasses) © 2017 All Rights Reserved 888 -641 -6131
Non-Biological Hazardous Waste • Pharmaceuticals • Chemicals (cleaning products, mercury from broken thermometers) • Genotoxic Waste (e. g. cytotoxic drugs for cancer treatment) © 2017 All Rights Reserved 888 -641 -6131
How Much Biohazardous Waste Per Year? • 5. 9 million tons of medical waste per year • 85% is non-hazardous • Approx. 1 million tons biomedical waste per year • 16 billion injections per year • 2 million needles per day • 800, 000 needle sticks per year (per NIOSH) © 2017 All Rights Reserved 888 -641 -6131
Brief History of Biomedical Waste • 1980’s – Highly publicized medical waste incidents (“Hypodermics on the shore”) • 1988 – Federal Medical Waste Tracking Act (Strict rules on medical waste transportation) • 1991 – FMWT Act expires. States adopt regulatory burden. • Present Day – Advancements in biomedical waste processing, including medical waste transfer by mail. © 2017 All Rights Reserved 888 -641 -6131
Regulated Biomedical Waste vs Unregulated • Regulated Medical Waste • Biomedical Waste (Sharps, swaps, tissues, body fluids, parts) • Other Hazardous Waste (Pharmaceuticals, radioactive, chemical) • Unregulated Medical Waste • Other waste generated by health care facilities, including disposable tissues, paper waste, food waste, etc. • This accounts for 85% of all health care waste, or about 5 million tons per year. © 2017 All Rights Reserved 888 -641 -6131
Risk to Human Health • Needle sticks (800, 000 per year) • Nurses, doctors, housekeepers, janitors, recycling employees, general public • Microorganisms • Poisoning from bio toxins • Contaminated drinking water and environment © 2017 All Rights Reserved 888 -641 -6131
On-Site vs Off-Site Treatment • On-Site: Limited to large, well-funded facilities (high cost, regulation) • Off-Site: Cost effective. Third-party vendors own and maintain equipment and assume regulatory burden. © 2017 All Rights Reserved 888 -641 -6131
Types of Off-Site Biomedical Waste Management • Truck Services – Biomedical waste is packaged in special containers, then hauled away to a dedicated disposal facility. • Mail-Back or Box Services – Biomedical waste is shipped via USPS. Generally most cost-effective. © 2017 All Rights Reserved 888 -641 -6131
Five Biomedical Waste Management Options • Incineration – Once the method of choice. Still the only method for human/animal tissues and body parts. • Autoclaving – Steam treatment. Once treated, waste can be disposed of normally in solid-waste landfills. • Microwaving – High-powered microwave renders waste inert. Can then be disposed of normally. • Chemical – Works for some biomedical waste but mostly for chemical waste. • Biological – Uses enzymes. Still experimental. © 2017 All Rights Reserved 888 -641 -6131
Best Practices for Biomedical Waste Management • Know the Laws – EPA, DOT, OSHA, DEA. • Classify Correctly – Don’t mix with non-hazardous waste. • Separate by Type – Sharps, pathological, non-hazardous, chemical, pharma. • Use the Right Containers – Certified cardboard boxes, tubs, or even locked up. • Prepare for Shipment – Follow DOT regs. Label. Store in secure, dry area. • Correct Documentation – Correct documents accompany each container. • Color Code – Right waste in right color container. • Hire the Right Partner – Right vendor for regs, hazards, type, © 2017 All Rights Reserved 888 -641 -6131
Color Coding of Medical Waste • Red – Sharps (puncture-proof containers) • Red – Biomedical waste (non-sharps in red biohazard bags/containers) • Yellow – Trace chemo waste • Black – Hazardous pharmaceutical waste • Blue – Non-hazardous pharmaceutical waste • Radioactive Symbol – Radioactive wastes like fluorine-18 © 2017 All Rights Reserved 888 -641 -6131
Who Creates Biomedical Waste? • Physician Practices • Retail Health Clinics • Dental Offices • Urgent Care Clinics • Veterinary Practices • Medical Research Labs • Nursing Homes • Home Health Care • Home Infusion Situations © 2017 All Rights Reserved • Funeral Homes • Hospitals • Commercial Offices • Commercial Buildings 888 -641 -6131
Biomedical Waste Resources • EPA Map – List of local and state regulating bodies and programs. • Med. Pro Waste Disposal – Low-cost, fully compliant pickup, transportation, treatment, and disposal. • WHO Manual – 308 pages on safe management of health care waste. • EPA safe sharps disposal document. • Waste Savings Calculator. © 2017 All Rights Reserved 888 -641 -6131
Conclusion • Biomedical waste is potentially infectious. • AKA: medical waste, clinical waste, biohazardous, RMW • Types: Sharps, infectious waste, pathological waste • 1 million tons per year • 800, 000 needle sticks per year (per NIOSH) • On-Site or Off-Site Treatment • Incinerate, autoclave, microwave • Know the laws, package, and color-code correctly © 2017 All Rights Reserved 888 -641 -6131
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