Welcome

INTRODUCTION

Management of Regulated Medical Waste

XYZ Hospital

•Compliance with hospital policies and procedures

•Cost of medical waste disposal versus solid waste disposal

•Cradle to grave liability of medical waste

WASTE SEGREGATION GUIDELINES

                    Regulated Medical Waste                    Chemotherapy (RMW)                    Solid Waste (Trash)                    Hazardous Waste

REGULATED MEDICAL WASTE

Red Biohazard Bag

Blood/blood products & OPIM - Examples: Saturated or grossly soiled disposables, i.e., bloody gauze, dressings, lap pads, OB and surgical peri-pads & gloves Containers, catheters, or tubes with fluid blood or blood products not discarded or flushed i.e., blood sets, suction

canisters & drainage sets (Need adequate absorbent material in container) Dialyzers & tubing Empty IV bags with patient identifying information on them: Name, SS#, MR# Microbiology specimens, used culture plates, tubes, bottles, & devices Placentas & surgical specimens Blood spill clean-up materials

Sharps Containers

Needles & syringes, syringes without needles

Scalpel blades & lancets

Glass pipettes, slides, and tubes

Broken contaminated glass

Staples & wires (Cardo-catheter wires)

Disposable suture sets & biopsy forceps

Electrocautery tips

Definition of Regulated Medical Waste

• OSHA’s definition of Regulated Medical Waste is: A liquid or semi-liquid or other potentially infectious materials (defined below); contaminated items that would release blood or other potentially infectious materials in a liquid or semi-liquid state if compressed; items that are caked with dried blood or other potentially infectious materials and are capable of releasing these materials during handling; contaminated sharps; and pathological and microbiological waste containing blood or other potentially infectious materials.

• Other potentially Infectious Materials means (1) The following human body fluids: semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva in dental procedures, and body fluids that is visibly contaminated with blood, and all body fluids in situation where it is difficult or impossible to differentiate between body fluids; (2) Any unfixed tissue or organ (other than intact skin) from a human (living or dead); and (3) HIV-containing cell or tissue cultures, organ cultures, and HIV- or HBV-containing culture medium or other solutions; and blood, organs, or other tissues from experimental animals infected with HIV or HBV.

CHEMOTHERAPY WASTE (RMW)

Chemotherapy Sharps Container or Bag(Yellow sharps containers) Trace-contaminated items generated in the preparation & administration of antineoplastic/cytotoxic drugs - Examples:

Gowns

Gloves

Masks

Barriers

IV tubing

Empty bags/bottles

Empty drug vials

Spill clean-up materials or kits

HEPA filters from Pharmacy laminar air flow hood

Needles & syringes

XYZ Hospital

• Environmental Ser. Should provide you with the appropriate biohazard shipping /collected container with liner.

• Medical waste shipper containers containing containers with liquids must have absorbent material

Example of absorbent material: Solidifier such as Permisorb

• Placement of medical waste containers Away from frequent traffic areas to minimize disposal of regular trash

SOLID WASTE (TRASH)

Clear Bag/Regular Trash

Examples: Paper & plastic wrappers, packaging, boxes, computer paper, office waste

Unused medical products & supplies

PPE (worn, but not soiled)

Food products & waste (soda cans, paper cups, plastic utensils)

Empty IV tubing without needles

Empty urine cups, stool containers, Foley bags/tubing, diapers, chux

Exam & cleaning gloves

Empty collection bottles & bags

Sanitary napkins & tampons (personal)

Disposable paper drapes, lab coats, paper towels, band aids

Disposable basins, bedpans, urinals

Non-mercury batteries

Empty aerosol pressure cans

IMPROPERLY

PACKAGED MEDICAL WASTE

REGULAR GARBAGE

DOES NOT BELONG IN

BIO HAZARD CONTAINER

HAZARDOUS WASTE

Hazardous Waste Container

Examples: Outdated/unused chemotherapy drugs (bulk)

Certain pharmaceuticals

Mercury-filled devices, batteries, thermometers, & blood pressure cuffs & gauges

Used solvents, stains, paints, & thinner

Chemicals such as formaldehyde & formalin, acetone, toluene, mercury fixatives, barium,

xylene, alcohol, disinfectants & chemical sterilizing agents

Drums or other containers with "hazardous" label

Radioactive material

HOW TO PACKAGE MEDICAL WASTE FOR DISPOSAL

All medical waste collected for disposal must be placed in a container that is lined. The plastic bag

used for lining must be of sufficient strength to prevent ripping or tearing. The bag must be marked according to federal, state and local regulations (i.e., red in color and/or biohazard symbol).

Sharp materials (“sharps”) must be placed in an approved container especially designed for

“sharps” waste. “Sharps” include needles, syringes, broken glass, scalpels, test tubes, pipettes, petri dishes and anything that can potentially pierce a plastic bag. As with other medical waste, “sharps” containers may be placed within the lined container.

Each bag must be properly sealed or tied. Each container must be securely closed. When a Stericycle shipper container is full, the liner should be tied off appropriately, the lid

secured properly on the container, the container appropriately labeled and transported intact to the storage area awaiting transport.

A container that is leaking, improperly packaged, improperly labeled or containing loose “sharps”

will not be picked up. Loose “sharps” pose a potential needlestick injury to your employees as well as Stericycle employees.

Proper way to tie liner in shipping container.

Questions

Questions?

Thank You!