Updated 06/01/23
Have you ever wondered what happens to medical waste? Medical waste can result in biohazards, and if not handled properly, such waste could spur the spread of dangerous diseases. As such, it is important to make sure that such waste is properly disposed of. Fortunately, you can hire a biohazard waste disposal service to handle medical device destruction and otherwise mitigate health risks.
Properly disposed of, medical waste rarely poses a serious threat. Of course, “proper” is the keyword here. Whether you need dental waste management, fluid waste management, trace chemotherapy waste disposal, or something else, it’s important to select the right professionals. That means finding a company that takes safety seriously. Waste management companies should also be able to adhere to time schedules, otherwise waste may begin to overflow, resulting in biohazards.
Any organization that generates biohazardous waste should have a waste management solution provider lined up before they begin operations. Trying to handle medical waste at the last minute can result in mishaps. By having a reliable waste management company lined up, medical organizations can mitigate risks and disruptions while also protecting the health of employees and the community at large.
To understand the significant role of a medical waste disposal company, we must pay attention to that facts about hazardous pharmaceutical waste.
An estimated 16 million injections are administered around the world annually. That’s not so disturbing, but what about those needles? Did you know that many of those dirty syringes are improperly disposed of? Medical waste disposal is so important, but proper handling techniques are often ignored or overlooked.
The Medical Waste Problem, and How it Could Affect You…
The Word Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that in the year 2000, contaminated syringes caused 21 million people to become infected with HBV infections. If the syringes had been disposed of safely, using proper medical waste removal practices, the infections could have been avoided altogether.
Stricter Rules for Medical Waste Disposal…It Just Makes Sense!
With two million tons of medical waste being generated every year, it’s clear that companies producing such waste should have stricter guidelines and tighter enforcement of the rules to ensure that medical waste does not harm or pose health risks to the population. Among the most common sources of pharmaceutical waste are doctor’s offices, dental practices, veterinary clinics, and research facilities.
Other Facts About Medical Waste Disposal
Pharmaceuticals and chemicals comprise approximately 3% of waste from health-care activities. Geneotoxic waste, radioactive matter and heavy metal content make up around 1% of the total waste from health care.
The Importance of Employing a Good Medical Waste Disposal Company
Approximately 1% of the total waste is sharps waste (needles and syringes), but as a major source of disease transmission, it’s imperative it be properly managed and disposed of, along with other hazardous pharmaceutical waste and trace chemo waste.
Although as much as 80% of hospital wastes could be disposed of like ordinary garbage, the remaining one-fifth left (400,000 tons annually)should be handled with caution. For these reasons and more, a medical waste disposal company has a great job to do for the safety of health care workers, patients, waste disposal professionals, and the general public too. Staying safe means paying attention, and keeping medical waste companies in fully operational. Somebody’s got to do the dirty work!