You Should Never Compact Medical Waste
Never compact
medical waste! In my 15 years of providing biohazard medical waste disposal, I have
seen many interesting things. One question I receive often is, can we compact
our medical waste? Well the answer to this is NO.
WHY?
In short,
several reasons apply. Most medical waste disposal companies will use a corrugated
cardboard medical waste box, or reusable tubs. For this discussion, we will use
the medical waste cardboard box. Most providers will use an industry standard,
30 gallon cardboard box, with a 3 mil red biohazard bag or liner.
Most boxes
will be about 18 inches wide, the same deep and about 24 inches tall. These measurements
will vary from provider to provider, but this will be the norm.
Now most of
these boxes will also have a weight limit, again the standard I have seen is
about 45 pounds. This weight limit will come from different variables, box
design, size of box, State regulations, etc. But, for argument sake, we will
use 45 pounds. We recommend to our customers a 40 pound weight limit, giving
the customer a little extra room, to go over.
In my time
of providing service, I have seen people step on waste with their foot, use a
broom, a box with weights to compress waste, I even had a customer with his own
trash compactor that would compact waste and needles. Then he would put the
trash compactor bag, in the medical waste box.
For many
reasons, this is not SAFE. A person should never reach into a medical waste
box, press on or step on medical waste. Also, medical waste boxes are usually handled
by a driver or (Waste Technician) when the boxes reach weights over 45lbs, it
is difficult for them to handle. Another problem is boxes coming apart, if the
box is overweight, it may implode. This leads to a possible environmental issue
and your driver being exposed to infectious medical waste.
In this
case, the medical waste box will need to be re-packed and your provider will probably
issue you a re-packing fee, or overweight charge.
Incomplete Waste Destruction
Now, as far
as treatment is concerned, again most disposal companies will use one of two
standard treatment processes. Incineration or autoclave, for either one, this
is where compaction really becomes a problem.
For complete
incineration, whenever the medical waste is compacted, complete destruction by
incineration may not be met. When this happens, the disposal facility will need
to recycle recognizable waste through the entire process again. Costing time,
money and more environmental exposure for having to do something twice.
In steam sterilization,
the same can happen, during treatment, the steam saturation, for complete sterilization,
may not be met. Meaning the disposal facility may need to re-treat or the waste
could be sent to a landfill without being properly treated. As with
incineration, Costing time, money and more environmental exposure for having to
do something twice.
In either case,
this is unacceptable, the biohazard waste treatment and disposal process, is a pennies
business. Meaning, the margins are tight to begin with, most providers spend
countless hours, refining the process to provide a compliant service, while
saving the customer money, all the while trying to protect the environment.
So, in the
end, NEVER compact medical infectious waste!
Examples
provided are just that, EXAMPLES.
Regulations
change from the federal government, also from State to State, in addition, your
Biohazard Waste Disposal Company, may have their own special rules and
regulations for packing and handling medical waste.
For more
information, we suggest you contact your waste provider directly, or contact Secure
Waste, for help.
Medical Waste And Sharps
Disposal
Serving Maryland,Virginia and Washington
D.C.
