Various Types of Biohazardous Waste and Disposal Procedures

When it comes to medical waste or Biohazardous Sharps Services, regardless, this component of the pharmaceutical industry needs special attention. Biohazardous waste is trash that can contain biological agents that pose a risk to the environment if released. The agents include bacteria, parasites, mold, viruses and other harmful microorganisms that can harm the mortality and health in humans. To know more, you can visit Medical & Biohazardous Waste Disposal in South Carolina.

Biohazardous waste can be produced in many locations within your medical facility, some of them are as follows:

  • Pathology labs that analyze human and animal cultures for the presence of harmful pathogens.
  • In research labs that develop vaccines and study infection-causing germs.
  • Operating or autopsy rooms where infected tissues are extracted.
  • Patient rooms at hospitals.

The Main types of Biohazard waste are listed below:

Solid:

Solid biohazardous waste is inclusive of non-sharp items that have come in contact with human or animal specimen materials, like tissues or any liquid body discharge. Some of the things that are thrown away, after use, are Petri dishes, pipettes, personal protective equipment, towels and linens and any dishes or containers that came in contact with infected tissues. Please note that sharps like scalpels and blood vials are treated separately.

This type of waste is collected in a designated container that comes with a lid; this is lined with an autoclave bag and marked with a biohazard symbol.

Sharp:

Sharps are any medical devices that can puncture the skin and that have been in contact with harmful biological pathogens. The tools include scalpels, shards of glass, needles, microscope slides and so on.

Once again, some containers are specially designed for the disposal of sharps. These containers are puncture proof, resistant to leak-proof, and safe to handle. Even though sharps have a biohazard status, they must be collected in the containers assigned for them; the vessels are appropriately marked with a symbol. Contaminated sharps are picked and disposed of by your local medical waste contractor. Plastic serological pipettes may not be sharp enough to pierce your skin, but they can poke through plastic bags; this is why they should be managed as sharps or separated from the remaining solid biohazardous waste.

Pathological:

Pathological waste is removed human or animal organs, tissues and body parts that were exposed to an infectious microorganism. To prevent any potential leaks, the pathological waste must be double bagged and stored, just like a liquid waste, in secondary containers. The Pathological waste is usually disposed through incineration or chemical treatment, but certainly not autoclaving.

It is critical that medical facilities regulate the way they dispose of their waste, not only to avoid any fines but also for the sake of the environment. The waste has to be handled carefully and efficiently; it must be contained, stored, shipped, and treated by following all the local state and federal rules. When working with an experienced and specialized medical waste management company, they ensure compliant systems and regulatory compliance. For more information on sharp disposal, you can visit Medical & Biohazardous Waste Disposal in South Carolina.